Wake Forest Athletics
Megan Gebbia, Opal Bird, Breauna Ware to Represent at 2026 ACC Women’s Basketball Tipoff
9/29/2026 11:02:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Wake Forest will be on site in Charlotte on Monday, Oct. 5.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A trio of Demon Deacons are set to soon represent at the 2026 ACC Women's Basketball Tipoff, as head coach Megan Gebbia, sophomore forward Opal Bird and graduate guard Breauna Ware were announced as this year's attendees for Wake Forest.
The Deacs' portion in the annual preseason event is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5 at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown in Charlotte, N.C. Coach Gebbia, Bird and Ware will have rotating interviews throughout the morning leading into the early afternoon, including appearances on the ACC Network set.
Additionally, the Wake Forest group will take the main stage for a Q&A feature on ACC Network Extra.
Fans can follow the all-day event on ACC Network, as well as the ESPN App. Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and @WakeWBB for set times and additional information about live interviews and exclusive content from the ACC Tipoff.
Opal Bird | Sophomore | Forward | Sydney, Australia
As a freshman in 2025-26, Bird appeared in all 32 games with 21 starts for the Demon Deacons. She finished with season averages of 5.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Establishing a presence in her playmaking, Bird ranked second among ACC freshmen in assists per game and also second on the Wake Forest roster. The mobile forward posted a career-high 10 points on four separate occasions. Additionally, she went for season highs in rebounds (10) and assists (9) during a road victory at Pitt on Jan. 1. In all, Bird tallied 10 performances with four or more assists.
Breauna Ware | Graduate Student | Guard | Queens, N.Y.
A newcomer for the Deacs this year as a grad transfer, Ware brings ample experience as a versatile scoring guard. She has played in 84 career games, scoring 742 combined points through her stops at St. Bonaventure, Stony Brook and Wisconsin. Competing for the Badgers during 2025-26, Ware played in 25 contests and started in 13 – averaging 5.4 points per game in 16.9 minutes while shooting 38.9 percent (14-36) from behind the arc. In 2024-25, the Queens native landed on the All-CAA Third Team at Stony Brook after posting 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.6 minutes per game.
As a freshman at St. Bonaventure in 2022-23, Ware appeared in 30 of 32 games, making 11 starts and averaging 6.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while playing just over 17 minutes a night.
Entering Year Five of the Megan Gebbia Era
During her fourth season at the helm of the program, Coach Gebbia's 2025-26 squad opened the season with nine wins, good for its best start since the 2008-09 campaign when the Demon Deacons had 12 wins to start. Additionally, the Deacs were the last undefeated team in the ACC and one of just 28 teams in the country to win their first nine games of the season.
Wake Forest finished the season with 539 assists on 790 field goals (68.2 percent) -- the highest percentage in a single season within the Gebbia era. The team's 539 assists were the second-highest total in a single season within program history.
Also of note, Wake Forest's 16.8 assists-per-game mark in 2025-26 tied with the 1989-90 season for fourth-best.
Doing an excellent job of sharing the basketball, the Deacs assisted on 394 of 667 made baskets (59.1 pct.). This was the highest assist percentage in the Gebbia era and the assist percentage ranked in the top 70 percent in the nation, according to HerHoopStats.
Among the ACC, Wake Forest ranked high as a team in several statistical categories last season:
The team went on to make an appearance in the 2026 WNIT - its second year of participation in the event within the Gebbia era.
Feedback
As fans have questions, feedback or ideas, Wake Forest Athletics encourages you to email wfsports@wfu.edu with those thoughts.
The Deacs' portion in the annual preseason event is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 5 at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown in Charlotte, N.C. Coach Gebbia, Bird and Ware will have rotating interviews throughout the morning leading into the early afternoon, including appearances on the ACC Network set.
Additionally, the Wake Forest group will take the main stage for a Q&A feature on ACC Network Extra.
Fans can follow the all-day event on ACC Network, as well as the ESPN App. Stay tuned to GoDeacs.com and @WakeWBB for set times and additional information about live interviews and exclusive content from the ACC Tipoff.
Opal Bird | Sophomore | Forward | Sydney, Australia
As a freshman in 2025-26, Bird appeared in all 32 games with 21 starts for the Demon Deacons. She finished with season averages of 5.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Establishing a presence in her playmaking, Bird ranked second among ACC freshmen in assists per game and also second on the Wake Forest roster. The mobile forward posted a career-high 10 points on four separate occasions. Additionally, she went for season highs in rebounds (10) and assists (9) during a road victory at Pitt on Jan. 1. In all, Bird tallied 10 performances with four or more assists.
Breauna Ware | Graduate Student | Guard | Queens, N.Y.
A newcomer for the Deacs this year as a grad transfer, Ware brings ample experience as a versatile scoring guard. She has played in 84 career games, scoring 742 combined points through her stops at St. Bonaventure, Stony Brook and Wisconsin. Competing for the Badgers during 2025-26, Ware played in 25 contests and started in 13 – averaging 5.4 points per game in 16.9 minutes while shooting 38.9 percent (14-36) from behind the arc. In 2024-25, the Queens native landed on the All-CAA Third Team at Stony Brook after posting 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 33.6 minutes per game.
As a freshman at St. Bonaventure in 2022-23, Ware appeared in 30 of 32 games, making 11 starts and averaging 6.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while playing just over 17 minutes a night.
Entering Year Five of the Megan Gebbia Era
During her fourth season at the helm of the program, Coach Gebbia's 2025-26 squad opened the season with nine wins, good for its best start since the 2008-09 campaign when the Demon Deacons had 12 wins to start. Additionally, the Deacs were the last undefeated team in the ACC and one of just 28 teams in the country to win their first nine games of the season.
Wake Forest finished the season with 539 assists on 790 field goals (68.2 percent) -- the highest percentage in a single season within the Gebbia era. The team's 539 assists were the second-highest total in a single season within program history.
| Rank | Total Assists | Year |
| 1. | 563 | 1987-88 |
| 2. | 539 | 2025-26 |
| 3. | 489 | 2004-05 |
| 4. | 488 | 1989-90 |
| 5. | 484 | 1988-89 |
Also of note, Wake Forest's 16.8 assists-per-game mark in 2025-26 tied with the 1989-90 season for fourth-best.
| Rank | Season | Total Assists | Total Games | Assists/Game |
| 1. | 1987-88 | 563 | 31 | 18.2 |
| 2. | 1988-89 | 484 | 28 | 17.3 |
| 3. | 1986-87 | 466 | 27 | 17.3 |
| T4. | 2025-26 | 539 | 32 | 16.8 |
| T4. | 1989-90 | 469 | 28 | 16.8 |
Doing an excellent job of sharing the basketball, the Deacs assisted on 394 of 667 made baskets (59.1 pct.). This was the highest assist percentage in the Gebbia era and the assist percentage ranked in the top 70 percent in the nation, according to HerHoopStats.
Among the ACC, Wake Forest ranked high as a team in several statistical categories last season:
- 4th in assists (16.8/game)
- 5th in field goal percentage (.443)
- 5th in three-point field goal percentage (.333)
- 6th in field goal percentage defense (.387)
The team went on to make an appearance in the 2026 WNIT - its second year of participation in the event within the Gebbia era.
Feedback
As fans have questions, feedback or ideas, Wake Forest Athletics encourages you to email wfsports@wfu.edu with those thoughts.
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