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Jul. 31—is the definition of a role player on the Illinois women's basketball team.
The Illini junior forward understands what is expected of her on and off the court by coach .
And the Pontevedra, Spain, native has embraced it.
The 6-foot-3 forward won't be Illinois' go-to player with the ball in her hands when the game is on the line. But what Noya Catoira does for the Illini doesn't go unnoticed, either.
Or make what Noya Catoira contributes to Illinois any less important.
Just ask Green.
"It's so important, and that's what a true team does, right?" Green said. "Everyone has different roles, and not everyone can play 40 minutes and score 20 points. And that's why Irene's so critical and why she's so special to our team and just who she is as a person. ... I love having her a part of this team, because of that. It's bigger than individual goals. She knows what she needs to bring in order for us to be the best that we can be. She embraces that, and she accepts that. Every year Irene has gotten better. I'm really looking forward to what she's going to bring this year, because I think just with her experience and her team-first mindset, you can't be successful without players like that."
This summer, Noya Catoira had a key role on a Spain U20 women's basketball team that finished in third place at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket in Lithuania with the 20-year-old forward averaging 6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in Spain's seven games at that tournament.
Noya Catoira has now been back on campus for nearly three full weeks, as the Illini wrap up summer workouts.
That Noya Catoira has "hit the ground running" since arriving back in Champaign has been important with Illinois not always at full strength the past six seven weeks.
Noya Catoira hasn't been the only Illini player on international duty with sophomore forward spending two separate stints with the Canada senior women's basketball national team at training camp, and redshirt junior center and junior guard now with the Brazilian national team.
That's made Noya Catoira's contributions significant as a veteran presence and one of the longest tenured Illinois players.
"Well, I was really excited," Noya Catoira said of how well she thought she performed with her national team this summer. "I think I said it in one of my interviews at home, but my goal this year was to be better than (last summer). ... This year, my mindset was go out there and play your role and just have fun with the team. It was really cool. I am really, really happy with the experience. I would do it 100 times with the same team."
Noya Catoira admits to being an overthinker. It's something she's had to work on. That process of self-growth has taken place as an Illini. Team sport psychologist has played a significant role in that. But so has Green.
What has helped Noya Catoira is the lessons she's been taught at Illinois.
To "be smart."
To "remember who you are."
To "remember what's your role."
That voyage of self-discovery led to a much better experience for her this summer with her national team.
Many of the same bad habits of thinking too much hindered Noya Catoira in previous tournaments with Spain. Noya Catoira pointed to last summer's 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup as an example.
But Noya Catoira grew from that experience. What followed was her most consistent college season in an Illini uniform as a sophomore in 2025-26 when Noya Catoira appeared in a career-high 17 games on a 22-win Illinois team. Noya Catoira produced 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, and in the classroom, the kinesiology major was as Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
"Just focus on what you have to do, and you'll help the team," Noya Catoira said when asked how she would define her role entering her third year at Illinois. "Everyone has a role. I know I am not a huge scorer.
"I'm fine with not scoring the ball. I know that's not my job. It's never been my job. If I have a good day, a good game, of course, I want to score the ball. But I know if I don't have the shot, just hey, go get a hand off. Go get an assist to (). I know she can make it. I'd always say I would rather give you the screen for you to make the basket. The ball to (), set a screen, I know she can get downhill. If that's what I have to do, I'll do it 100 times.
"Not being selfish in that part. Of course, I want to score the ball. Every basketball player wants to score the ball. I just feel like understanding how you can help the team — and how you are going to make your team better — is the whole point of it."
What the Illini will ask of Noya Catoira has sometimes been a willingness to be adaptable.
Noya Catoira likely won't be asked to play as a true center like she was while with Spain. Illinois has a deep and loaded frontcourt, led by Parchment, Wallace, Vasconcelos and .
But Noya Catoira's comfort in doing whatever is needed to help her team win is an important trait to have.
A versatility that allows Noya Catoira to fill wherever in the case of foul trouble or to give the Illini some key minutes.
"I think being able to play more than one position is really good for a player because at the end of the day you go play against a team, they don't know what you're going to do," Noya Catoira said. "Like you can be the five, but maybe I want to play the five and be outside the three-point line and attack someone big, so, you know, that it's going to be hard for them to defend you. I feel like now that I'm here changing that role into you're not a five anymore (like with Spain) you're more like an open post player it's really important for the season (to) be ready to play whatever position the team needs me to play and whatever the team needs me to do, I'll do it. I can be playing the point guard if they want me to."
Continue reading...
The Illini junior forward understands what is expected of her on and off the court by coach .
And the Pontevedra, Spain, native has embraced it.
The 6-foot-3 forward won't be Illinois' go-to player with the ball in her hands when the game is on the line. But what Noya Catoira does for the Illini doesn't go unnoticed, either.
Or make what Noya Catoira contributes to Illinois any less important.
Just ask Green.
"It's so important, and that's what a true team does, right?" Green said. "Everyone has different roles, and not everyone can play 40 minutes and score 20 points. And that's why Irene's so critical and why she's so special to our team and just who she is as a person. ... I love having her a part of this team, because of that. It's bigger than individual goals. She knows what she needs to bring in order for us to be the best that we can be. She embraces that, and she accepts that. Every year Irene has gotten better. I'm really looking forward to what she's going to bring this year, because I think just with her experience and her team-first mindset, you can't be successful without players like that."
This summer, Noya Catoira had a key role on a Spain U20 women's basketball team that finished in third place at the FIBA Women's EuroBasket in Lithuania with the 20-year-old forward averaging 6.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in Spain's seven games at that tournament.
Noya Catoira has now been back on campus for nearly three full weeks, as the Illini wrap up summer workouts.
That Noya Catoira has "hit the ground running" since arriving back in Champaign has been important with Illinois not always at full strength the past six seven weeks.
Noya Catoira hasn't been the only Illini player on international duty with sophomore forward spending two separate stints with the Canada senior women's basketball national team at training camp, and redshirt junior center and junior guard now with the Brazilian national team.
That's made Noya Catoira's contributions significant as a veteran presence and one of the longest tenured Illinois players.
"Well, I was really excited," Noya Catoira said of how well she thought she performed with her national team this summer. "I think I said it in one of my interviews at home, but my goal this year was to be better than (last summer). ... This year, my mindset was go out there and play your role and just have fun with the team. It was really cool. I am really, really happy with the experience. I would do it 100 times with the same team."
Noya Catoira admits to being an overthinker. It's something she's had to work on. That process of self-growth has taken place as an Illini. Team sport psychologist has played a significant role in that. But so has Green.
What has helped Noya Catoira is the lessons she's been taught at Illinois.
To "be smart."
To "remember who you are."
To "remember what's your role."
That voyage of self-discovery led to a much better experience for her this summer with her national team.
Many of the same bad habits of thinking too much hindered Noya Catoira in previous tournaments with Spain. Noya Catoira pointed to last summer's 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup as an example.
But Noya Catoira grew from that experience. What followed was her most consistent college season in an Illini uniform as a sophomore in 2025-26 when Noya Catoira appeared in a career-high 17 games on a 22-win Illinois team. Noya Catoira produced 1.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game, and in the classroom, the kinesiology major was as Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
"Just focus on what you have to do, and you'll help the team," Noya Catoira said when asked how she would define her role entering her third year at Illinois. "Everyone has a role. I know I am not a huge scorer.
"I'm fine with not scoring the ball. I know that's not my job. It's never been my job. If I have a good day, a good game, of course, I want to score the ball. But I know if I don't have the shot, just hey, go get a hand off. Go get an assist to (). I know she can make it. I'd always say I would rather give you the screen for you to make the basket. The ball to (), set a screen, I know she can get downhill. If that's what I have to do, I'll do it 100 times.
"Not being selfish in that part. Of course, I want to score the ball. Every basketball player wants to score the ball. I just feel like understanding how you can help the team — and how you are going to make your team better — is the whole point of it."
What the Illini will ask of Noya Catoira has sometimes been a willingness to be adaptable.
Noya Catoira likely won't be asked to play as a true center like she was while with Spain. Illinois has a deep and loaded frontcourt, led by Parchment, Wallace, Vasconcelos and .
But Noya Catoira's comfort in doing whatever is needed to help her team win is an important trait to have.
A versatility that allows Noya Catoira to fill wherever in the case of foul trouble or to give the Illini some key minutes.
"I think being able to play more than one position is really good for a player because at the end of the day you go play against a team, they don't know what you're going to do," Noya Catoira said. "Like you can be the five, but maybe I want to play the five and be outside the three-point line and attack someone big, so, you know, that it's going to be hard for them to defend you. I feel like now that I'm here changing that role into you're not a five anymore (like with Spain) you're more like an open post player it's really important for the season (to) be ready to play whatever position the team needs me to play and whatever the team needs me to do, I'll do it. I can be playing the point guard if they want me to."
Continue reading...
