2008 Woodie Awards
A farewell for three: The BSU women's basketball team says goodbye to its three seniors
KYE JOHNSON
Assistant Sports Editor
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Sports
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“Michelle has had a great year and we’re certainly hoping she’s named all conference,” BSU Head Coach Gordy Presnell said about Hessing. “She has given us a great post presence, great leadership if we can finish this out, she’d have a great close to her career at Boise State. I know she’s close to 1,000 points so hopefully we can get that for her as well.”
Hessing has averaged 9.1 points per game in her four years at Boise State - the highest mark among the three seniors. She’s also one of the best rebounders on the team too. Hessing is bringing in over five boards per game this season and just fewer than five per game for her career.
Presnell said he also knows how helpful it is to have a dominant inside player on your team.
“It’s helped a lot but I think more than anything else with her leadership is that she’s bought into what we’re trying to do,” Presnell said. “And sense she’s buying in, everyone’s buying in. She’s really been a leader in that regard and I’ve really been appreciative of it.”
BSU guard Nadia Begay will likely be remembered for her ability to score and, more likely than not, her ability to shoot the long ball.
“Nadia has been our three-point shooter,” Presnell said. “Last year she really helped turn our program around and really got us some respect early.”
Begay averaged over 12 points per contest last season in Presnell’s first season as head coach. But she’s had a different role this season coming off the bench and seeing more limited time than before.
Nonetheless, Begay is still one of the best three-point shooters on the team. She’s second on the team in three-pointers made this season and she’s been averaging close to eight points per game this season.
Both Begay and Hessing have experience winning and losing during their four years at Boise State and Presnell knows how big their impact has been turning that losing corner.
“They’ve done a lot to change that,” Presnell said. “They’ve both been player of the week here and they’ve helped turn this program around.”
As for Jackie Thompson, she has played the game underrated and below the radar. She’s not a big scorer, doesn’t put up huge stats and yet she’s the player who’s seemingly always coming down with the loose ball, the offensive rebound or the key steal when the Broncos need it.
“Jackie is our most enthusiastic and our most athletic player and we’re not the same team without her on the floor,” Presnell said.
He would know. Thompson has missed a huge part of the second half of the season due to an injury and is just now getting back to playing.
“She’s had a great two years,” Prensell said about the two-year transfer from Panola College. “I feel like she’s grown a lot and she’s certainly helped our program out a lot.”
Thompson has started 17 of the 18 games she’s played in this year, while shooting an incredible 63 percent from the floor. Her work ethic will be sorely missed after her career at Boise State is done.
Not only have the three seniors made each of their senior years more enjoyable by winning, they’ve helped set the standard for future seasons as well.
“I hope [the younger players] see the amount of time and effort put in and see the experience they’ve had in turning this around and that they have to start building a tradition here and that they have to keep this thing going,” Presnell said.
These three seniors have helped re-shape the way people look at Boise State women’s basketball, because they have provided the experienced leadership during this program’s two-year makeover.
“You get a new job and you want people to buy into what you’re trying to do and those three did. It made what we’re trying to do here so much easier,” Presnell said. “And I’m really fortunate to have them as part of a team I got to coach.”
Nadia Begay
Games Played/Started – 104/19
Minutes/Averaged – 2071/19.9
Points/Average – 763/7.3
FG/FG Attempts – 249/693
FG Percentage - .359
3-PT FG/FG Attempts – 151/466
3-PT Percentage - .324
FT Percentage - .820
Rebound Total – 200
Rebound Average – 1.9
Assists – 133
Turnovers – 199
Blocks – 5
Steals – 63
Jackie Thompson
Games Played/Started – 53/48
Minutes/Averaged – 1471/27.8
Points/Average – 143/3.0
FG/FG Attempts – 60/105
FG Percentage - .571
3 PT FG/FG Attempts – 0-0
3 PT Percentage - .000
FT Percentage - .561
Rebound Total – 215
Rebound Average – 4.6
Assists – 21
Turnovers – 56
Blocks – 7
Steals – 27
Michelle Hessing
Games Played/Started – 105/75
Minutes/Averaged – 2305/22.0
Points/Average – 959/9.1
FG/FG Attempts – 358/753
FG Percentage - .487
3-PT FG/FG Attempts – 3/4
3-PT FG Percentage - .750
FT Percentage - .694
Rebound Total – 474
Rebound Average – 4.5
Assists – 77
Turnovers – 187
Blocks – 89
Steals – 85
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