Utah Valley University’s Naia Tanuvasa has been named to the athlete pool for the American Samoa National Women’s Basketball Team as they aim to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic Games, according to a May 19 announcement.
This selection highlights Tanuvasa’s growing profile in collegiate and international basketball. Her inclusion in the athlete pool gives her an opportunity to compete on an international stage and potentially help American Samoa make its first appearance in women’s basketball at the Olympics.
Tanuvasa will enter her junior year with Utah Valley during the upcoming 2026-2027 season. She joined the Wolverines for the 2025-2026 season, playing in 28 games and setting a school single-game steals record with nine against La Sierra, where she also contributed seven assists and two blocks. Before college, she played at Lone Peak High School in Highland, leading her team to three Utah 6A State Championships and four region titles. As a senior, she was named first-team All-State after averaging 14.5 points per game and six rebounds per game. In addition to basketball, Tanuvasa excelled in soccer and was named Provo’s Daily Herald Soccer Player of the Year in 2024.
American Samoa last won gold at the Pacific Games in 2019 after previously earning silver medals in both 2007 and 2015. If successful in qualifying for Los Angeles, it would mark their first-ever entry of a women’s basketball team into Olympic competition.
The announcement signals a significant milestone both for Tanuvasa’s career and for American Samoa’s women’s basketball program as they look toward future international competitions.
