Patricia Bright: Basketball forward, 2011-2013

At OSU: Bright only played two years with the Beavers after transferring from a Pensacola State College, but she still made a sizable impact on the Oregon State record books, especially in the shot blocking category. The 6-foot-4 forward owns the OSU records for most blocked shots in a game (9), in a season (115), and third most in a career (166) despite playing just two seasons. She made the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team in 2012 while posting career averages of 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Bright also helped build the groundwork of the Scott Rueck era, winning 30 games during the head coach’s second and third seasons in Corvallis.

After OSU: In the three years since Bright finished her senior year at OSU, she has played for four different professional teams in four different countries: first in the Mediterranean Sea on the island of Malta, then a half season in the United Kingdom and a half season in Australia, followed by the most recent season in Turkey.

It has helped that her expertise is in foreign culture, since her degree from OSU was in Cultural Anthropology. Even the language barrier hasn’t been too difficult — she’s now fluent in Turkish, at least enough to hold a “mini conversation.” Overall, she’s loved moving from country to country and doesn’t even expect to return to Turkey despite feeling comfortable with the culture and language.

“I actually like [traveling],” Bright said. “I get to meet different people, see different places,” Bright said. “I call it living it a suitcase.”

Bright recently returned to her hometown of Phoenix to spend the offseason, and her agent will help this summer to decide her destination for the upcoming season. In the meantime, Bright spends her time with family and works out twice a day; her cousin, in fact, is her trainer. Basketball continues to be her biggest passion, regardless of the country or team she’s on.

“It’s a great blessing. I love basketball,” Bright said. “Basketball is pretty much my whole entire life. To play basketball overseas is a dream come true, and I know not a lot of people get to have that opportunity.”

Bright enjoys playing overseas so much that she has considered trying out the WNBA but really would prefer staying in the international ranks. She doesn’t want to worry too much about life after basketball at the moment — “I’m in my prime,” she says — but has considered doing scouting work after hanging up her sneakers.

“I’m trying to play basketball until the wheels fall off,” Bright said. “I’m one of those one-day-at-a-time girls. Hopefully I keep the basketball train rolling five or six years, and after that get into scouting or something else I feel passionate about. Because if you’re doing something you love, I wouldn’t call it a job.”