Evans, Girardi and Barros to Represent Utah at Big 12 Media Day
10/14/2026 10:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SALT LAKE CITY – The Big 12 Conference has announced the student-athletes attending the 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media Day on Oct. 20 with Utah women's basketball represented by Chyra Evans, Lena Girardi and Filipa Barros alongside head coach Gavin Petersen.Â
New for this year, each institution's men's and women's basketball programs will participate on the same day. Eight institutions will be featured each day, creating a unified platform to highlight the depth and strength of the league.Â
Coverage from the main set will air on ESPNU from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT each day. Matt Schick, Brooke Weisbrod, King McClure, Sydney Jones and Alex Glover Jemison will help preview both the men's and women's seasons. Both days will also be simulcast on Big 12 Studios and BYUtv.
Commissioner Brett Yormark will speak on the main stage at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Former K-State guard and WNBA analyst Missy Heidrick returns to moderate the women's Q&A sessions with head coaches and student-athletes, while BYUtv's Spencer Linton will host the men's sessions. A feed of all press conferences and interviews will be available on ESPN+.
Evans, a senior forward from Newcastle, Australia, is one of Utah's top returners. She led the Utes in the 2025-26 season in field goal percentage with 50.2%. Last season, she averaged 8.2 points per game, 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. She pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds and scored in double figures 12 different times.Â
Barros, a senior guard from Vermoim Maia, Portugal, joins the Utes after spending four seasons at California Baptist. While at CBU, she led the Lancers to three consecutive WAC Championship titles. She helped CBU to its second-ever NCAA Tournament berth. During the 2025-26 season, she finished with the most rebounds in a single season with 335, the most steals 91 and the highest steals per game 2.68. She averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game.Â
Girardi, a sophomore guard from Purchase, New York, joins the Utes after spending her freshman season at Oklahoma State. At OSU, she played in 28 games and averaged 7.8 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.6% from the field, 39.8% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the line.Â
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The Big 12 had eight women's basketball teams selected to the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, matching the league record set in 2008. It marked the third consecutive season that the league has sent at least seven teams to March Madness. The Conference finished the regular season as one of just two leagues nationally to have 75% of its teams ranked within the top 60 of the NET and had the second-best regular season record among Power Four leagues in games against other P4 teams. The league had five selections in the 2026 WNBA Draft, including Utah's Lani White.Â
FOLLOW THE UTES
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).
New for this year, each institution's men's and women's basketball programs will participate on the same day. Eight institutions will be featured each day, creating a unified platform to highlight the depth and strength of the league.Â
Coverage from the main set will air on ESPNU from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT each day. Matt Schick, Brooke Weisbrod, King McClure, Sydney Jones and Alex Glover Jemison will help preview both the men's and women's seasons. Both days will also be simulcast on Big 12 Studios and BYUtv.
Commissioner Brett Yormark will speak on the main stage at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Oct. 20. Former K-State guard and WNBA analyst Missy Heidrick returns to moderate the women's Q&A sessions with head coaches and student-athletes, while BYUtv's Spencer Linton will host the men's sessions. A feed of all press conferences and interviews will be available on ESPN+.
Evans, a senior forward from Newcastle, Australia, is one of Utah's top returners. She led the Utes in the 2025-26 season in field goal percentage with 50.2%. Last season, she averaged 8.2 points per game, 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. She pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds and scored in double figures 12 different times.Â
Barros, a senior guard from Vermoim Maia, Portugal, joins the Utes after spending four seasons at California Baptist. While at CBU, she led the Lancers to three consecutive WAC Championship titles. She helped CBU to its second-ever NCAA Tournament berth. During the 2025-26 season, she finished with the most rebounds in a single season with 335, the most steals 91 and the highest steals per game 2.68. She averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game.Â
Girardi, a sophomore guard from Purchase, New York, joins the Utes after spending her freshman season at Oklahoma State. At OSU, she played in 28 games and averaged 7.8 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.6% from the field, 39.8% from beyond the arc and 83.3% from the line.Â
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The Big 12 had eight women's basketball teams selected to the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, matching the league record set in 2008. It marked the third consecutive season that the league has sent at least seven teams to March Madness. The Conference finished the regular season as one of just two leagues nationally to have 75% of its teams ranked within the top 60 of the NET and had the second-best regular season record among Power Four leagues in games against other P4 teams. The league had five selections in the 2026 WNBA Draft, including Utah's Lani White.Â
FOLLOW THE UTES
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).
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