Fresno State Athletics
Photo by: Keith Kountz
Haley Cavinder tabbed MW Player of the Year
3/7/2021 11:15:00 AM | Women's Basketball
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. – For the second consecutive season a Fresno State player has been named Mountain West Player of the Year as Haley Cavinder was tabbed with the honor on Sunday morning. Cavinder becomes the third sophomore, and first since 2004, to win the MW's top award. She is the third Bulldog to garner the honor since 2015.
Playing in all 18 conference games, Cavinder led the league in scoring with the sixth-highest per game average in conference history at 20.6 points per outing. The 5-foot-6 point guard also finished third in the league in rebounding with 7.9 per game while the next closest player under 5-foot-8 finished 16th with 5.8 per game.
The Gilbert, Ariz. product finished the conference season ranked in the top seven in scoring (first, 20.6 ppg), rebounding (third, 7.8 rpg), field goal percentage (fifth, .432), free throw percentage (second, .838), 3-pointers made per game (third, 2.3 pg), assists (sixth, 3.7) assist/turnover ratio (seventh, 1.5) and steals (sixth, 1.7 spg).
Finishing the season as the only player to earn multiple MW Player of the Week honors during the 2020-21 season, doing so three times, Cavinder posted 11 of her league-leading 12 20-point games in conference play, including six during the final seven games of the season. The sophomore saved her best shooting stretch for the end of the year, averaging 23.6 points per game during the last five outings, shooting team highs of 48.9 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from 3-point range and 91.7 percent from the charity stripe.
The Bulldog point guard becomes only the third player in Mountain West history to earn Player of the Year on a team that finished outside of the top three, joining Jennifer Schlott (Utah State) and Linda Frolich (UNLV) who did it twice.
Selected to her second straight all-conference team, Haley is joined by twin sister Hanna Cavinder who finished second in the league in both scoring (17.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (.459) while taking the third-most shot attempts in the league with 270. The 5-foot-6 combo guard posted eight 20-point games during the season. In the final game of the year, Hanna scored a career-high 32 points on an efficient 13-of-20 shooting.
While being known as a scoring guard, Hanna put her passing skills and the knack for finding the ball on the defensive end this season, finishing fourth in the conference in steals (1.8 spg), seventh in assists (3.7 apg) and eight in assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
Playing through injury during the 2020-21 season, Maddi Utti earned MW honorable mention. The senior finished league play as one of only two players to rank in the top 16 in the league in scoring (12.2 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and assists (2.7 apg). The Seaside, Ore. native shot 51.4 percent (one made FG shy of minimum required for rankings), while also shooting a career-best 43.2 percent from 3 (19-of-44). Utti ranked seventh in steals (1.7 spg) and was the only post player in the league to rank in the top 15 in assists, checking in at No. 13 with 2.7 per game.
2020-21 All-Mountain West Women's Basketball Team
All-Conference Team
Jade Loville, Jr., G, Boise State
Lore Devos, Sr., G, Colorado State
McKenna Hofschild, So., G, Colorado State
Haley Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Hanna Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Da'Ja Hamilton, Jr., G, Nevada
Jaedyn De La Cerda, Sr., G, New Mexico
LaTascya Duff, Jr., G, New Mexico
Antonia Anderson, Sr., G/F, New Mexico
Nia Johnson, Jr., G, UNLV
All-Defensive Team
Kassady Huffman, Sr., F, Air Force
Alexis Mark, Fr., F, Boise State
Shaiquel McGruder, Jr., F, New Mexico
Bailey Thomas, Sr., G, UNLV
Quinn Weidemann, Jr., G, Wyoming
All-Freshman Team
Alexis Mark, F, Boise State
Abby Muse, F, Boise State
Kim Villalobos, G/F, San Diego State
Jade Thomas, G, UNLV
Desi-Rae Young, C, UNLV
Honorable Mention
Riley Snyder, Jr., F, Air Force
Maddi Utti, Sr., F, Fresno State
Ahlise Hurst, Jr., G/F, New Mexico
Desi-Rae Young, Fr., C, UNLV
Player of the Year: Haley Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Defensive Player of the Year: Bailey Thomas, Sr., G, UNLV
Freshman of the Year: Desi-Rae Young, C, UNLV
Newcomer of the Year: McKenna Hofschild, So., G, Colorado State
Sixth Person of the Year: LaTascya Duff, Jr., G, New Mexico
Coach of the Year: Lindy La Rocque, UNLV
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateWBB
Instagram: fresnostwbb
Playing in all 18 conference games, Cavinder led the league in scoring with the sixth-highest per game average in conference history at 20.6 points per outing. The 5-foot-6 point guard also finished third in the league in rebounding with 7.9 per game while the next closest player under 5-foot-8 finished 16th with 5.8 per game.
The Gilbert, Ariz. product finished the conference season ranked in the top seven in scoring (first, 20.6 ppg), rebounding (third, 7.8 rpg), field goal percentage (fifth, .432), free throw percentage (second, .838), 3-pointers made per game (third, 2.3 pg), assists (sixth, 3.7) assist/turnover ratio (seventh, 1.5) and steals (sixth, 1.7 spg).
Finishing the season as the only player to earn multiple MW Player of the Week honors during the 2020-21 season, doing so three times, Cavinder posted 11 of her league-leading 12 20-point games in conference play, including six during the final seven games of the season. The sophomore saved her best shooting stretch for the end of the year, averaging 23.6 points per game during the last five outings, shooting team highs of 48.9 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from 3-point range and 91.7 percent from the charity stripe.
The Bulldog point guard becomes only the third player in Mountain West history to earn Player of the Year on a team that finished outside of the top three, joining Jennifer Schlott (Utah State) and Linda Frolich (UNLV) who did it twice.
Selected to her second straight all-conference team, Haley is joined by twin sister Hanna Cavinder who finished second in the league in both scoring (17.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (.459) while taking the third-most shot attempts in the league with 270. The 5-foot-6 combo guard posted eight 20-point games during the season. In the final game of the year, Hanna scored a career-high 32 points on an efficient 13-of-20 shooting.
While being known as a scoring guard, Hanna put her passing skills and the knack for finding the ball on the defensive end this season, finishing fourth in the conference in steals (1.8 spg), seventh in assists (3.7 apg) and eight in assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
Playing through injury during the 2020-21 season, Maddi Utti earned MW honorable mention. The senior finished league play as one of only two players to rank in the top 16 in the league in scoring (12.2 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg) and assists (2.7 apg). The Seaside, Ore. native shot 51.4 percent (one made FG shy of minimum required for rankings), while also shooting a career-best 43.2 percent from 3 (19-of-44). Utti ranked seventh in steals (1.7 spg) and was the only post player in the league to rank in the top 15 in assists, checking in at No. 13 with 2.7 per game.
2020-21 All-Mountain West Women's Basketball Team
All-Conference Team
Jade Loville, Jr., G, Boise State
Lore Devos, Sr., G, Colorado State
McKenna Hofschild, So., G, Colorado State
Haley Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Hanna Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Da'Ja Hamilton, Jr., G, Nevada
Jaedyn De La Cerda, Sr., G, New Mexico
LaTascya Duff, Jr., G, New Mexico
Antonia Anderson, Sr., G/F, New Mexico
Nia Johnson, Jr., G, UNLV
All-Defensive Team
Kassady Huffman, Sr., F, Air Force
Alexis Mark, Fr., F, Boise State
Shaiquel McGruder, Jr., F, New Mexico
Bailey Thomas, Sr., G, UNLV
Quinn Weidemann, Jr., G, Wyoming
All-Freshman Team
Alexis Mark, F, Boise State
Abby Muse, F, Boise State
Kim Villalobos, G/F, San Diego State
Jade Thomas, G, UNLV
Desi-Rae Young, C, UNLV
Honorable Mention
Riley Snyder, Jr., F, Air Force
Maddi Utti, Sr., F, Fresno State
Ahlise Hurst, Jr., G/F, New Mexico
Desi-Rae Young, Fr., C, UNLV
Player of the Year: Haley Cavinder, So., G, Fresno State
Defensive Player of the Year: Bailey Thomas, Sr., G, UNLV
Freshman of the Year: Desi-Rae Young, C, UNLV
Newcomer of the Year: McKenna Hofschild, So., G, Colorado State
Sixth Person of the Year: LaTascya Duff, Jr., G, New Mexico
Coach of the Year: Lindy La Rocque, UNLV
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateWBB
Instagram: fresnostwbb
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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