Chyra Evans, Lena Girardi, and Filipa Barros will represent the University of Utah at the 2026 Monster Energy Big 12 Basketball Media Day on Oct. 20. Head coach Gavin Petersen will also attend the event alongside the three student-athletes.
The event features a new format where each institution's men's and women's basketball programs participate on the same day, with eight institutions featured each day. Coverage from the main set will air on ESPNU from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT, with a simulcast on Big 12 Studios and BYUtv. Matt Schick, Brooke Weisbrod, King McClure, Sydney Jones, and Alex Glover Jemison will preview both the men's and women's seasons.
Commissioner Brett Yormark is scheduled to speak on the main stage at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The women's Q&A sessions will be moderated by former K-State guard and WNBA analyst Missy Heidrick, while BYUtv's Spencer Linton will host the men's sessions. A feed of all press conferences and interviews will be available on ESPN+.
Chyra Evans, a senior forward from Newcastle, Australia, led the Utes in the 2025-26 season in field goal percentage at 50.2%. During that season, she averaged 8.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, while recording a career-high 13 rebounds.
Filipa Barros, a senior guard from Vermoim Maia, Portugal, joins the program after four seasons at California Baptist. At CBU, she led the Lancers to three consecutive WAC Championship titles and participated in two NCAA Tournament berths. In the 2025-26 season, she averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists per game, and recorded 335 rebounds and 91 steals.
Lena Girardi, a sophomore guard from Purchase, New York, joins the Utes following a freshman season at Oklahoma State. During her time at OSU, she appeared in 28 games, averaging 7.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 43.6% from the field and 83.3% from the line.
The Big 12 had eight women's basketball teams selected to the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, matching a league record from 2008. This marked the third consecutive season the league sent at least seven teams to the tournament. The conference also had five selections in the 2026 WNBA Draft, including Utah's Lani White.
