Wini Braga, who's team was recently eliminated in the Novo Basquete Brasil playoffs, was noncommittal about returning to Minas or heading to Washington
The Washington Huskies men's basketball team is still looking to fill the final three spots available on the roster leading into the 2026-27 season.
The Huskies have looked to international pipelines over the last two years to fill several spots on the roster.
Last year, the best player on the court for Washington was 6-foot-11 forward Hannes Steinbach, who's currently looking to rise up professional draft boards at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, which is currently taking place in Chicago.
This offseason, head coach Danny Sprinkle and the Huskies coaching staff seemed to find another potential impact player on international soil and earned a commitment from 6-foot-9, 21-year-old Brazilian forward Wini Braga.
Braga currently competes for Minas in the Brazilian professional baseball league, Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB).
The NBB is currently in the midst of the playoffs and Minas, Braga's team was recently eliminated.
Following the end of Minas' playoff run, Braga was noncommittal about whether he would be returning to the NBB or follow through on his commitment to Washington next season.
Braga had the following statement following his future. The quote was shared on "X" in a post by NBB reporter Emmanuel B. Leite and has been translated from Portuguese:
"It's still very uncertain," Braga said. "There are really things that could happen for me to go abroad (Washington). But there are also things that could happen for me to stay here (Minas). So, I can't answer that question yet. ... My biggest goal right now is to play at a high level, whether here, in Europe, in the U.S., anywhere. I just want to be on big teams, competing for big things, preferably titles."
In 45 games this season, including the playoffs, Braga averaged a professional career-high of 10.4 points per game on 52.6% shooting from the floor. He also averaged 6.2 rebounds and over a block per game. Braga was also scouted as a solid performer in the pick-and-roll.
If Braga chooses not to head to the Pacific Northwest next season, that would leave Washington with 11 players on the roster and needing four players to max out the allowed amount of players on the roster. The team could been in the need of five players based on the status of sophomore forward Jasir Rencher, who missed most of the year with a heart condition he underwent surgery for.
If Braga opts to stay with Minas, then the Huskies' top priority before the season begins will likely be turned back toward finding a rim protector with a rebounding and blocking acumen.
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