UC Irvine Alum Tara Prentice Wins Gold with Team USA at 2026 World Cup Final
July 27, 2026 | Women's Water Polo
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By: Leah Fitzpatrick
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IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine women's water polo alum Tara Prentice helped the USA Women's Senior National Team capture the gold medal at the 2026 World Aquatics World Cup Final in Sydney, Australia.
Team USA opened the tournament with a 14-8 quarterfinal victory over China on July 22, with Prentice scoring one goal. The Americans followed with a 10-6 semifinal win over host Australia on July 24 before defeating Spain, 13-9, in the championship match on July 25 to claim the World Cup title.
Zac Hudson / World Aquatics
Prentice continues to build one of the most accomplished international resumes in UC Irvine women's water polo history. In addition to winning the 2026 World Cup, she earned gold medals at the 2022 World Championships, the 2023 World Cup, the 2023 Pan American Games, and the 2024 World Aquatics World Championships. She also represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where Team USA finished fourth.
In 2022, Prentice became the first Anteater to win a World Championship gold medal. She later helped the United States defend its world title in 2024 and was part of the squad that captured the 2023 Pan American Games championship to qualify for the Paris Olympics. She also became UC Irvine's first women's water polo Olympian.
Prentice capped one of the most decorated careers in program history at UC Irvine. A four-time ACWPC All-American and four-time All-Big West First Team selection, she was named the 2022 Big West Player of the Year and received two NCAA Woman of the Year nominations. She graduated as both the UC Irvine and Big West career scoring leader with 242 goals.
Team USA Results at 2026 World Aquatics World Cup Final
Team USA def. China (Quarterfinals), 14-8
Team USA def. Australia (Semifinals), 10-6
Team USA def. Spain (Gold Medal Match), 13-9
Zac Hudson / World Aquatics
