Over the first two days of the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru,
Stephanie Soares showed flashes of the abilities so familiar to fans of The Master's University.
She blocked shots. She scored. She made it clear she wasn't a member of the Brazilian women's national team by mistake.
But, there was another ingredient in the mix Thursday night when Brazil routed Paraguay 81-37 and advanced to the tournament's semifinal round: opportunity.
Soares played 27 minutes, a tournament high for the 6-foot-6 center who was named an NAIA All-American for the Mustangs last year, and she made the most of her generous allotment. She scored 15 points and pulled down five rebounds, both tournament bests for Soares, to go with two blocks.
She'll be back on the court Friday as Brazil plays Colombia at 4 p.m. PST. The other semifinal will feature the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with the championship set for Saturday at 7 p.m. PST. All games are broadcast live on
ESPN3.
"It's been fun to see Steph grow as the tournament progresses," said TMU coach
Dan Waldeck. "She's so incredibly unselfish. I can see her trying to do whatever her team needs to find success. Her defense has been great, and I love how hard she's running the floor in transition."
Soares' role with Brazil has been decisively different than the one she played for Master's during her freshman season in 2018-19. For the Mustangs, she owned the paint and served as the team's primary scoring threat.
Soares averaged 16.2 points, 13.4 rebounds and 4.9 blocks at TMU. Her 173 blocked shots were a program single-season record – and only 20 short of TMU's all-time mark set by Bianca Cubello from 2013-2017.
"For us, she has such a dynamic scoring role, so to see her adjust to her team's needs just shows how truly gifted she is," Waldeck said. "She's been amazing both as an individual player and as a teammate in these games."
Soares compiled five points, one rebound and a block in 17 minutes Tuesday in a 79-71 win over Canada. She recorded four points in game two Wednesday, a 64-58 win over Puerto Rico. In neither game did she attempt more than six shots.
Thursday, Soares went 5-for-11 from the field and 5-for-6 at the free-throw line. She scored four point in the third quarter when Brazil outpaced Paraguay 21-5 to put the game away.
"She played enough minutes to find a rhythm," Waldeck said.
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