Colorado State University Athletics
Nystrom named Mountain West Player of the Year
3/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - After guiding No. 22 Colorado State to a historic season and a perfect 18-0 mark in Mountain West play, several Rams were honored by the conference office on Monday morning when the Mountain West announced its all-conference award recipients.
Junior guard Ellen Nystrom was named the Mountain West Player of the Year after averaging 11.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in league play. Nystrom was also named to the all-conference team and all-defensive team for the third year in a row, while senior guards Jamie Patrick and Keyora Wharry each earned spots on the 10-person all-conference team. Head Coach Ryun Williams was named the Mountain West Coach of the Year for the second time in his four years at CSU, having previously won it after the 2012-13 campaign.
Undeniably one of the most versatile players in the country, Nystrom was at the heart of everything offensively and defensively for the Rams. The junior is one of just seven girls in the nation to average at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists per game. Nystrom led the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) and finished second in assists with 103. Her 103 assists during league play rank fifth in Mountain West history. Overall, Nystrom was ranked in nine of the 13 statistical categories, the most of any player in the conference. The Swedish native is the second-ever Mountain West Player of the Year for the Rams, joining, now graduate assistant, Gritt Ryder from last year.
Patrick exploded onto the scene this year, proving herself to be more than just a shooter in her senior season. Patrick expanded her game, playing a critical role in slowing down the opposing team's best shooter for CSU's nationally-ranked defense. On offense, Patrick lived up to her reputation as one of the best shooters in the nation, let alone the Mountain West. During conference play, the senior was third in the league with 15.2 points per game while ranking fourth in field goal percentage (.519). Patrick tied a Mountain West record with 57 made 3-pointers during league play (3.2 per game), and did so while connecting on a league-best 44.9 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc.
Wharry also grew into her role her senior season. The Fresno, Calif. native was as tough to guard as anyone in the conference, easily getting into the paint and opening up easy shots for her teammate. During conference play, Wharry was second on the team with 12.0 points per game, and finished third in the Mountain West in field goal percentage (.533), first among guards. In some of CSU's toughest games and stretches of the season, Wharry shined brightest to ensure the Rams stayed perfect in conference.
Williams earned his second Coach of the Year award in his fourth year at CSU. In his time at CSU, Williams has transformed the Rams into a perennial contender. Over the last three seasons, the Rams have gone 48-6 in Mountain West play, and became the first school in league history to win three-consecutive outright regular season titles. Under his guidance, CSU has rattled off a school-record 25-consecutive wins this season and has tied a Mountain West record with 28 wins overall. The Rams earned their first national ranking since 2002 this year.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING…
Ellen Nystrom
(on being MW Player of the Year)
"It's very fun of course, but that wasn't my goal. Right now, my focus, and our team's focus, is on this week and the conference tournament so that we end up where we want to be and where we set our goals for this season."
Jamie Patrick
(on all-conference selection)
"It's an honor, especially with how good our team has been and how there hasn't been just one scorer' there are multiple. It makes it even better knowing how awesome our team has been this year. I honestly didn't expect it going into this season, but it's not a big deal to me because team accomplishments mean so much more."
Keyora Wharry
(on all-conference selection)
"It's an honor. I definitely wasn't expecting anything of the sort. It means a lot because it was such a surprise and completely unexpected."
Ryun Williams
(on Mountain West Player of the Year selection)
"We had three kids who were probably very deserving of this award between Jamie (Patrick), Keyora (Wharry) and Ellen (Nystrom). All three very deserving; Ellen very, very deserving. Her year has been outstanding. What she means to our basketball team, the numbers don't do justice. I think everybody got it right."
(on three all-conference players)
"The versatility is unmatched most nights with what Ellen brings. Jamie, Key, being all-conference, they've had big-time senior seasons. They've produced in big-time games and big-time moments, and they've made a lot of big shots. With that being said, they've always put the team ahead of their individual performances, and that's probably what I'm most proud of with those three kids."
(on individual accolades being a result of team success this season)
"I think each one of those kids would tell you that these awards would not take place if their teammates weren't just as outstanding. The fact that our team has had such an amazing season up to this point is a big reason why those kids are as good as they are. Jamie needed help making those shots, Ellen needed help; it takes everyone else doing their part for them to succeed. The reason Ellen, Key, Jamie have had outstanding years is because they support each other; this whole team supports each other, and I think that's why everyone is able to shine. Jamie, Ellen and Key have really shined this year."
(on winning Mountain West Coach of the Year)
"It's something our whole team, our whole staff can be really, really proud of. It's a staff award; it's not Ryun Williams. I didn't make one basket, I didn't get one rebound, I didn't have one assist. Our staff, and I think the head coach in particular, can be made to look good because of what they put out there on the floor. It's all about the players and the amazing staff that I get to sit alongside.
