St. Mary's Academy Junior Sofia Bell, Stand-Out Basketball Player Committed To Play For The University Of Oregon, Leads Discussion With WNBA Star Lisa Leslie At 28th Annual Food For Thought Tuition Assistance Fundraiser (Photo) -12/16/21
Portland, Ore – Sofia Bell, St. Mary’s Academy junior and stand-out basketball player, has committed to the University of Oregon to play basketball for the Ducks. Last week, Sofia shared the stage with WNBA star Lisa Leslie at the 28th Annual Food for Thought Fundraiser in support of tuition assistance at St. Mary’s.
At the event, Leslie inspired the live and virtual audiences in a conversation about leadership, hard work, sacrifice, goal setting and authenticity, a message that resonated strongly with Bell. “It was incredible to be on the SMA stage with Lisa Leslie. She was amazing. I especially liked what she said about setting goals, turning failures into learning experiences, and staying hungry.”
Bell’s own goals related to basketball were set as early as 6th grade. At the time, she was actively playing club basketball and watching a lot of college basketball. It was then she realized that she, too, wanted to play at the college level. Sofia is now the nation’s 28th best player in the 2023 class and is considered the top player in the state of Oregon in the class.
While Sofia grew up cheering for the Ducks - she is the daughter of Greg Bell who played for the Oregon’s men’s basketball team in the 1980’s - she confirms that she gave every interested school a fair chance. Ultimately the University of Oregon was the best fit for her.
St. Mary’s Academy Head Basketball Coach Sheena Moore applauds Sofia’s decision and capabilities. “Sofia is a one-of-a-kind player. Obviously, she presents a lot of match up challenges for opposing teams with her size as a 6’ point guard, but she’s so smart and her basketball IQ is off the charts. She’s one of the top players in the country but she doesn’t let it go to her head. She works hard every practice and puts in the extra work outside of practice. She’ll be a great fit at the University of Oregon, and I’m excited to watch her play at the next level!”
Bell’s outlook on the current Blues basketball season is positive, especially coming off a year of restricted play due to COVID. “It is so much fun to be back playing together. I’m looking forward to a full season. And, I want to win. Lots.”
As a student at St. Mary’s, Sofia, in addition to playing basketball for the Blues, volunteers with CommuniCare, is part of the Lead Like a Girl student leadership program, and serves as a LINK mentor where she works with the incoming freshmen class to build community, foster friendships and ease the transition to high school.
