SAN JUAN — When
India Pagan steps onto the court with the Stony Brook women's basketball team at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this Friday, it won't be the first time she has competed at the venue. In fact, she has been practicing on that court for the past two years as a member of the Puerto Rico women's national team.
"I'm so excited and it means so much to be able to play on the same court with my Stony Brook family that I do with my Puerto Rico family," Pagan said.
Pagan and her fellow Seawolves will be enjoying a break from the New York winter as the team plays in the Puerto Rico Clasico. While on the Island of Enchantment, Stony Brook will take on Morgan State on Friday and Western Michigan on Sunday. Both tip-offs are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. EST.
Although born and raised in Connecticut, Pagan's Puerto Rican roots are deep. Her parents were born on the island. She also has extended family members scattered throughout the island.
Since joining the national team in 2018, Pagan and her squad have excelled on a global scale. Right off the bat, she earned a gold medal at the 2018 Centrobasket Championship in Puerto Rico. This past summer, Pagan had the honor of playing at two major international tournaments — the Pan American Games and the FIBA AmeriCup.
"It has been a great experience," Pagan said about playing with the national team. "I gained new friends and family through this journey and learned a lot about myself and my game throughout the process."
At the Pan Ams in Lima, Peru, Pagan helped secure the bronze medal with a 66-55 victory over Colombia. At the FIBA AmeriCup, which was hosted by Puerto Rico in San Juan, the forward averaged 5.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game to help her team finish fourth.
"Playing against the best of the best has been a dream of mine ever since I was little, and now I have done it," Pagan said. "Hopefully I will continue to be able to play against and with the most elite players — not only the best from the U.S., but from all over the world. I am blessed to be Puerto Rican."
Pagan's experience playing against the best of the best on the international stage has certainly translated to her collegiate game. A preseason all-conference team pick, Pagan entered the 2019-20 campaign as Stony Brook's top returning scorer (12.1 ppg) and rebounder (6.0 rpg). Through this season's first 10 games, she averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
In the season opener against St. Francis Brooklyn, she poured in 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her first-career double-double.
"I'm just continuing to work every day on the court and in the weight room to bring my game to another level," Pagan said. "I feel like I haven't really played my best basketball yet. I just need to continue finding my groove and rhythm again and being confident in myself, knowing that I can do it and knowing my teammates and coaches have all the confidence in me as well."
