ONE of the Coffs Coast’s most promising young athletes has made her debut in the world’s best amateur basketball league.

Isla Juffermans played her first game for the Louisville Cardinals in the season opener of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division 1 women’s basketball season.

The season opener was far away from its traditional home of the USA, with the game between Louisville and UCLA played in Paris.

The 19-year-old played fourteen minutes in her college debut, scoring her first basket for Louisville.

Her team went down 66-59 to UCLA, who were ranked No.5 in the country in the preseason polls.

She played her second game for the Cardinals last weekend, scoring five points on 2/2 shooting in thirteen minutes of game time.

Juffermans joins a Cardinals team who were ranked No.17 in the country in the preseason polls.

The former Coffs Suns junior signed to play her freshman season in the US college system, after playing her debut season in the WNBL for the Sydney Flames.

The college freshmen is coming off an outstanding domestic season, as one of the standout players of the NBL1 East season playing for the Newcastle Falcons, in which she was also part of their grand final winning team.

Last year saw the rising star make her Australian Opals debut during their tour of China, which followed a decorated junior career representing Australia.

By Aiden BURGESS