Emily Bessoir

College career

Emily Bessoir’s father helped guide her through the college recruitment process. In 2019, both Bessoir and UCLA head coach Cori Close were in Bangkok for the FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship—Bessoir played for Germany while Close coached the U.S. team. When Bessoir arrived at UCLA, her entire freshman recruiting class consisted of international players: Australians Izzy Anstey and Gemma Potter joined her. During her first season, Bessoir averaged 7.5 points and 5.2 rebounds over 20.7 minutes per game, earning a spot on the 2020–21 Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.

In October 2021, Bessoir tore her ACL during practice, which sidelined her for the entire 2021–22 season. She returned to play all 37 games the following year. That season, she scored 12 points in a December win over CSU Bakersfield, and in February 2023 she dropped 20 points with four three-pointers in a victory against Oregon. UCLA opened the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament against Arizona State, where Bessoir posted 17 points and 9 rebounds in an overtime win.

In the next game, she recorded her first career double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds against No. 21 Arizona. In UCLA’s first game of the 2023 NCAA tournament, she scored 14 points in a win over Sacramento State and was later named to the All-Tournament team. During the summer of 2023, the Bruins played an exhibition against Bessoir’s former club, TS Jahn München. Bessoir scored 17 points in UCLA’s 126–23 blowout win.

Heading into the 2023–24 season, she received an honorable mention on the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team. However, she played only one game that season, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds. Bessoir was scheduled to miss two games to represent Germany in FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, but during a qualifier on November 9, she re-injured the same ACL that had cost her the 2021–22 season, ending her campaign. After the 2023–24 season, Bessoir announced she would not return to UCLA or enter the transfer portal.

National team career

Instead, she moved back to Germany to pursue a spot on the women’s Olympic roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics. She graduated from UCLA in June.

National team career

Bessoir plays for Germany on the international stage. She was part of the German squad that earned a silver medal at the FIBA U16 Women's European Championship. Two years later, she helped her country win gold at the 2018 FIBA U18 Women's European Championship, and she returned to that tournament in 2019.

In 2020, she played for Germany in the FIBA U20 Women's European Challengers, putting up averages of 16.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks across five games. During her last season at UCLA, she sat out two Bruins games to compete in EuroBasket Women 2025 qualifiers, but tore her ACL in one of those matches. Bessoir made Germany's final 12-player roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.