By Leigh Dethman
Position:
Point guard
Size:
5-foot-8
Awards:
Led UVSC to a No. 7 finish at the national tournament in 2000-2001… Team MVP at UVSC in 2001-2002
Stats:
3.2 points per game
2.3 assists per game
40 percent from the field (20-51)
72 percent free throws (13-18)
Strengths
After starting point Julie Sullivan went down with a torn ACL, Nelson stepped up and filled in with poise. She has handled all the pressure thrown at her.
Put in the pressure cooker situation of the point guard position, Nelson is a fundamentally sound ball-handler. She opens up the offense, creating shots for her teammates on both the inside and outside.
Don”t leave her open outside, she”ll drain it. Nelson is hitting 42 percent of her shots from three-point land. In a win against Wyoming on Jan. 18, she drained 4-5 from beyond the arc.
Just as any good point guard should, she dishes out the ball as good as anybody. A point guard should be unselfish, and Nelson is willing to share.
Nelson takes care of the ball. Her assist to turnover ratio is almost 2-1. She has 44 assists compared to 26 turnovers this season.
Opponents better watch out, Nelson steals the ball in an instant. Nelson is tied for second on the team with 19 steals.
Weaknesses
At times Nelson hesitates to shoot the ball. She”s proved that she can make it, but she needs the confidence to take more shots.
She doesn”t have experience as a starting point guard on a Division I team. That comes with the territory of transferring from a JC. She”s gaining experience every day.
Nelson needs to look to push the ball more. BYU isn”t getting enough fast-break opportunities. She needs to drive the lane in order to open up the offense.
Nelson needs to find a way to get to the foul line. She”s only been to the charity stripe 18 times this season. And when she gets there, she needs to hit them. She is shooting only 72 percent from the free-throw line.
