UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO ATHLETICS
BUFFALO, N.Y. — University at Buffalo women’s basketball graduate and Grand Island, NY native Cassie Oursler inked her first professional contract this week to continue her basketball career in Spain. Oursler signed her contract to play for Cadi La Seu who play in the city of La Seu d’Urgell, Spain.
“And our cup overflows,” expressed head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. “What a blessing to have another young lady from our women’s basketball team sign with a professional team. Cassie Oursler has worked incredibly hard to have this opportunity to play professionally in Spain.”
Oursler becomes the second member of the Bulls Sweet 16 team to sign a professional contract this summer as Stephanie Reid signed on to play in her native Australia earlier this month. Oursler and Reid become the first duo to sign pro deals in the same season since head coach Felisha Legette-Jack took over the UB program prior to the 2012-13 campaign.
After playing her freshman campaign at Robert Morris, Oursler capped her outstanding collegiate career playing three seasons at Buffalo where she turned into a key component of a team that was able to earn two NCAA Tournament appearances while also collecting a pair of NCAA Tournament victories for the first time in program history.
The center closed out her career making three NCAA Tournament appearances while also surpassing 1,000 career points scored as she amassed 1,168 points, 704 rebounds and 200 blocks. She was also able to total 13 career double-doubles while scoring in double figures on 51 occasions during her career.
Oursler put together her best collegiate season during her senior campaign in Buffalo as she was able to start all 35 games at center and averaged a career-best 24.6 minutes, 12.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks while shooting 49.7% from the floor and a team-best 82.1% from the charity stripe. As a senior, the local product produced a career-high eight double-doubles while going over the 20-point plateau four times.
“The standards our players have that forces the world to see their light is simply amazing,” stated Legette-Jack. “Cassie, in three short years, has become a part of the winningest women’s basketball class to have ever walked through the UB doors. To now have her reap the fruits of her labor makes me smile. I am so proud of Stephanie, Katherine, Liisa, Mariah and Cassie for all that they stand for and all that they will do in the future! My only advice as their coach is simple…keep going forward!”
Cadi La Sue plays in Liga Femenina, the first tier level of women’s professional basketball in Spain. The league is played under FIBA rules and currently consists of 14 teams.
The Grand Island native is one of two American born players currently on the Cadi La Sue roster for the upcoming season as she joins Mehryn Kraker (Green Bay ’17) who was drafted in the WNBA Draft by Washington Mystics in 2017 and was later released.
Oursler is set to report to her new team in the beginning of September as their first practice will take place on September 3. Cadi La Sue will kick off their 2018-19 campaign on October 12.
