The RoundHouse | 9/3/2019 4:52:00 PM

 
 
Marine Johannes is a WNBA rookie who played for the French National team in 2016 Olympics. When Wichita State's Carla Bremaud thinks about her future in basketball, she thinks about Johannes and the similarities in their skills and background.
 
"I really like how she plays," Bremaud said. "She is kind of the same position as I am. She can shoot, but she can also can drive and she has crazy moves."
 
Bremaud, a sophomore guard from Angers, France, played for the under-20 French National team that finished third in the FIBA European Women's Championship in August in the Czech Republic. She averaged 3.4 points and 9.8 minutes in seven games with high games of 10 points in a 54-32 win over Italy and 11 in an 86-35 win over the Netherlands, both in group play.
 
Bremaud also played for the under-17 French team in the 2016 World Championships.
 
"To wear the French jersey and hear the anthem . . . I cannot describe it," she said. "When you're a kid and watching a basketball game, or even a soccer game for the national team, it's something you really want to do."
 
Shockers coach Keitha Adams watched all of the team's games on the Internet and enjoyed exchanging text messages with Bremaud during the tournament. She is always glad to see Shockers practice and play against strong competition.
 
"It was a real positive," Adams said. "There's a pride factor when you're representing your country. We've always had a philosophy of letting our international players play for their national team. We're not going to say no to someone representing their country."
 
Last season, Bremaud started 29 games for the Shockers and earned a spot on the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman team. She averaged a team-leading 9.9 points.
 
Bremaud played the role of shooter during the tournament, especially when the opposing team played a zone defense. The boot-camp style running and weight-lifting helped and she said she watched the team captains and how they held teammates accountable during practices.
 
"I learned a lot about leadership, and I think that can be really important for this team," Bremaud said. "I know I can do that, too. I think it's going to pay off for the team, and for me, too, this year."
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.