Now that she’s back on the Main Line after a summer representing Team Canada, star point guard Jasmine Bascoe is preparing for her sophomore campaign with a new group of Wildcats. After averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game during her freshman season, Bascoe is looking to step forward this year and achieve the ultimate goal: an NCAA Tournament bid. 

“I want to lead [the team] through anything that happens, whether they are older, younger, freshmen or transfers, doesn’t matter,” Bascoe said.

Last season, Villanova women’s basketball finished with an overall record of 18-14 and went 11-7 in the Big East. The Wildcats finished fifth place overall in the Big East after being eliminated in the quarterfinals by the NCAA reigning champions, UConn. Bascoe ultimately earned First Team All-Big East honors, a unanimous selection to the All-Big East Rookie Team, Philadelphia Big 5 Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Big 5. She also set the Villanova freshman record for steals in a season, with 66 total.

Bascoe returns to Lancaster Ave after her fourth summer on the international stage. This year, she represented Team Canada in the FIBA U19 World Cup, hosted in Brno, Czechia. There, she competed alongside Canadian high school players and fellow NCAA players. Canada finished in fourth place after suffering losses to Spain and Australia. 

The team spent an entire month together training, scrimmaging and competing. They traveled from Toronto to Portugal and eventually Czechia for the FIBA tournament. 

“Those girls felt like my sisters in that month just because of how much we were fighting for every game, every practice,” Bascoe said. 

During her time on Team Canada, Bascoe found herself taking on a leadership role. Now, she will take her experiences as a leader for her country’s team and bring it back to Villanova. 

The Wildcats brought on several new additions this season, including four freshmen and two transfers. Despite head coach Denise Dillon having a largely new roster to work with once again, things are looking promising. 

“We’ve connected really, really well off the court, so I think it’s helped kind of make a seamless transition onto the court,” Bascoe said. “This team is so different from last year, but in a good way.” 

The latest group of Wildcats have set their standards high, as they will be looking to climb in the Big East rankings and ultimately reach the NCAA Tournament in March. 

During its nonconference competition on Nov. 9, Villanova will travel to Toronto, Canada for a matchup with Virginia Commonwealth University. The team will even practice in Bascoe’s high school gym at Kings Christian Collegiate in her hometown of Milton, Ontario.

“I’m very excited,” said Bascoe. “I think it’ll be fun for everyone to get to just see a little of what I was doing before I was here.”

After a dominant freshman season, Bascoe feels prepared to take on the pressure and high expectations that come with being a sophomore and Villanova’s returning leading scorer.

“I think the demand has changed a bit, but at the same time, especially, for myself, being here last year, I kind of have that foundation set now,” Bascoe said.

Bascoe intends to up her game in terms of assists and finding new ways to score. Standing only at 5’7”, she is a smaller presence on the court compared to most. But last year, she showed off her ability to weave quickly through defenders, using her speed to her advantage. 

In the 2024-25 season, Bascoe led the team with an average of 4.5 assists per game. This season, she will be looking to further improve her ability to create plays as the starting point guard. 

“I want to be a great point guard for my teammates,” Bascoe said. “Continuing to facilitate for them is something that I’ve been harping myself on.” 

Pressure from social media is inevitable for a well-known collegiate player. Now, more than ever, it is easy for one harsh post online to get inside an athlete’s head. In the last few years, online discourse surrounding women’s basketball has also increased in popularity.

For Bascoe, seeing her highlights posted on social media can be uplifting, but simultaneously, any small portion of negative commentary can be difficult to ignore. After establishing herself as one of the best players at Villanova and in the Big East, Bascoe knows that there will be a lot of eyes on her this season. In addition to that, she will be competing alongside other notable players in the conference, meaning that fans and foes alike are bound to talk about her online. Bascoe said she makes an effort to not let the opinions of strangers get to her head.

“For me, I don’t get affected by [social media] too much, Bascoe said. “I honestly think it’s funny. It’s not something that really damages my mental state at all.”

Bascoe attributes a lot of her skills to the help of her father, Shane Bascoe, who has served as her coach and mentor for her entire life. He coached Jasmine and her brother Josh, who competed for Bucknell men’s basketball and is now playing overseas in France. Bascoe’s father is one of the most familiar with her game, and helps her on aspects of it she may not even notice herself.

“[My dad] is my trainer when I’m not at Villanova, and he’ll even come down here and train me sometimes,” Bascoe said. “He’s someone I’ve always looked up to.”

Another of Bascoe’s idols is New York Knicks guard and Villanova alum Jalen Brunson. She grew up watching Brunson and the Wildcats win the 2016 and 2018 national championships, which partially inspired her own decision to attend Villanova.

On Sept. 17, Brunson and fellow “‘Nova Knick” Josh Hart visited campus for a special event and live recording of their podcast, “The Roommates Show.” Through the night, the duo brought various guests on stage, including Siegrist and Jason Kelce. The show also orchestrated a three-point contest among the Villanova men’s and women’s teams. 

In addition to participating in the basketball showcase and contest, Bascoe had the opportunity to meet the star of the New York Knicks she had looked up to for so long.

“I was starstruck, but [Brunson] was so cool,” Bascoe said. “I still get chills thinking about it.”

Bascoe was impressed by Brunson’s casual nature in the presence of an awestruck fan. 

“‘I’m just a normal guy, I goof off just like you guys,’” Bascoe said, remembering what Brunson told the team. 

Bascoe hopes that the former Villanova point guard will be able to make it out to a game in New York when Villanova faces St. John’s on Jan. 24.

As Bascoe and the Wildcats continue to prepare for their season beginning at the end of October, they will continue to keep their goals in mind for when March arrives.