Meet USUE’s foreign basketball players: Ana Borges and Barbara Cousino

This archived article was written by: Ayanna Ford

Ana Borges, 21 and Barbara Cousino, 19 are both returning sophomore’s to USU Eastern’s women’s basketball team. With sharing the love of basketball, these two also share the love for their countries. Yes, their countries! Brazil and Chile, Borges the Brazilian and Cousino the Chilean.
These two athlete’s traveled many miles from home and their families to attend USU Eastern. Although it may be hard, they claim it’s all worth it just to be able to play in the United States.
Borges tells how it has always been a dream to play ball in the states. That even when she was born her dad put her in clothes that had the U.S. flag on it. When the USU Eastern coach arrived at her game in Brazil to recruit her, she couldn’t believe it. She felt as if it were all a dream! Excited and shocked, Borges dreams she says began to come true. Cousino explains how she had similar feelings; how women that play basketball in the U.S. their dream is to one day make it to the WNBA.
Meanwhile in Chile, every girl’s dream as a child who plays basketball is to one day play in the U.S. The reason being is because basketball is so important in the U.S. Many people follow it, the competition is good, and it is made a big deal because the U.S. invests so much money on it whether it’s college or the professional league.
Cousino says she was in Colorado playing for her national team when USU Eastern came out to watch her play. She recalls the day just like it was yesterday, so many emotions and feelings of excitement. She wanted to impress the coaches and play a good game. After the game was all over, Eastern’s coaches told her they had to have her come play for USU Eastern. At that moment, Cousino says her dreams were finally becoming a reality, just like Borges, she couldn’t believe it. Coming to the U.S. was no easy task for these two because they had to leave behind an important part of their; life’s their support system and their family.
What has the most meaning to you? Both athletes gave similar responses they responded their families have the most meaning to them. Borges explains that her family means everything to her because they are so close. There is not a thing she cannot tell them and there’s not a thing they don’t know about her. She has a healthy relationship with her family and that’s why it was so hard to leave them behind.
Cousino says her family has the most meaning to her because family for her is her everything. The reason for family being everything to her is because they all share the same passion for what she loves to do. She explains how there hasn’t been one game where she had looked in the stands, and did not see her family right there supporting her.
So why do these athletes love the sport of basketball so much? “Basketball is a gateway for everything in my life. It opened up many opportunities for me that I probably wouldn’t have if I didn’t play the sport. Also basketball helped me encounter a lot of friends, learn English, and see the world.”-Cousino said
“I love the sport of basketball so much because of the discipline I learned through playing it. People may look at basketball and think it’s nothing more than a sport but basketball offers so much more than defense and offense. Basketball taught me discipline in which I am able to carry over and apply to my life.”-Borges said