Maddi Utti is Mountain West player of the year as Fresno State dominates all-conference list
the Fresno State Bulldogs dominated All-Mountain West Conference women’s basketball selections announced Sunday.
Bulldogs forward Maddi Utti, who averaged 15.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game and is the only player in the conference to rank in the top five in each of those three statistical categories, is the player of the year.
Guard Haley Cavinder is the freshman of the year and Jaime White the coach of the year after leading the Bulldogs to a 23-6 record, 16-2 in conference play to win the Mountain West by three games over Boise State.
Guard Hanna Cavinder also is on the All-Mountain West team. Utti was selected to the all-defensive team, and the Cavinder twins are on the all-freshman team.
The twins are the first players to make the all-conference and all-freshman teams since Ellen Nystrom (Colorado State) in 2014.
UNLV forward Rodjanae Wade, an Edison High grad, also was selected to the All-Mountain West team.
Fresno State opens the Mountain West Tournament in a quarterfinal game at noon on Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas against the winner of Sunday’s matchup between No. 8 Nevada and No. 9 New Mexico.
Utti also ranked in the top five in the conference in field goal percentage, defensive rebounds and offensive rebounds and ranked second in conference games with eight double-doubles. The 5-foot-11 forward was selected to the conference’s all-defensive team for a second year in a row.
Haley Cavinder is one of two players in the conference to rank in the top 10 in scoring, rebounds and assists per game, and one of six to have at least five double-doubles. She scored 20 or more points six times including 31 in a victory at New Mexico and had at least 10 points in a quarter five times – four in the second half of games, helping the Bulldogs come back from deficits.
Hanna Cavinder ranks in the top 10 in the conference in scoring, assists and assists to turnover ratio. She had five games scoring 20 or more points including 24 in an 85-76 victory at San Jose State and 20 in a 78-76 victory over the Spartans at the Save Mart Center; San Jose State finished third in the conference.
ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST
Maddi Utti, Fresno State
Ayzhiana Basallo, San Jose State
Rodjanae Wade, UNLV
Riley Lupfer, Boise State
Tereza Vitulova, Wyoming
Haley Cavinder, Fresno State
Jayde Christopher, Boise State
Sophia Ramos, San Diego State
Kaelin Immel, Air Force
Hanna Cavinder, Fresno State
HONORABLE MENTION
Tyra Whitehead, San Jose State
Essence Booker, Nevada
Taylor Kalmer, San Diego State
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Haley Cavinder, Fresno State
Hanna Cavinder, Fresno State
Jaeden Vifanua, Wyoming
Dom Phillips, Nevada
Isis Beh, UNLV
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Jayde Christopher, Boise State
Maddi Utti, Fresno State
LaTecia Smith, UNLV
Andrea Brady, Colorado State
Bailey Thomas, UNLV
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Maddii Utti, Fresno State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Bailey Thomas, UNLV
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Ayzhiana Basallo, San Jose State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Haley Cavinder, Fresno State
SIXTH PERSON OF THE YEAR
Marlene Aniambossou, Utah State
COACH OF THE YEAR
Jaime White, Fresno State