Yvonne Ejim

Last updated
Yvonne Ejim
No. 15–Gonzaga Bulldogs
Position Forward
League West Coast Conference
Personal information
Born (2002-04-09) April 9, 2002 (age 22)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Career information
High school Edge School
(Rocky View County, Alberta)
College Gonzaga (2020–present)
Career highlights and awards
  • Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year (2024)
  • WCC Player of the Year (2024)
  • WCC Defensive Player of the Year (2024)
  • WCC Sixth Woman of the Year (2022)
  • 2× First-team All-WCC (2023, 2024)
  • Second-team All-WCC (2022)
  • Miss Basketball Alberta (2019)
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
FIBA Women's AmeriCup
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2023 Mexico Team
FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2017 Argentina Team

Yvonne Uju Ejim [1] (born April 9, 2002) is a Canadian college basketball player for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West Coast Conference. She is also a member of the Canadian women's national team.

Contents

Early life

Ejim was born on April 9, 2002 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. [2] [3] to Otonye Idoniboye and Chucks Ejim. [4] Growing up in Calgary, she played tennis at a young age, later stating that she "wanted to be the next Serena Williams." [5] Ejim started playing basketball after attending a Steve Nash camp at the age of seven, playing for local clubs such as NCBC Thunder. [4] [6]

High school career

Ejim attended Edge School in Rocky View County, Alberta, where she excelled in volleyball, track, tennis, and basketball before deciding to commit exclusively to basketball. [4] [7] In grade 10, she averaged 22.0 points and 13.7 rebounds per game on 55.4 percent shooting. [8] In grade 11, Ejim averaged 24.8 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 4.3 steals per game on 56.4 percent shooting. [8] She led her team to its first city championship in 40 years and was named Miss Basketball Alberta. [8] In February 2019, Ejim took part in a Basketball Without Borders Global Camp at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. [1] [9] Two months later, she was one of five Canadian girls invited to the Next Generation Showcase at the NCAA Final Four in Tampa, Florida. [10] [11]

Ejim also represented her home province of Alberta in national competitions for several years. [6] At the 2016 Canada Basketball 15U Championships, she led her team in both points (11.5) and rebounds (9.8) per game, earning second-team all-star honours. [12] [13] The following year, Ejim played for Team Alberta at the 2017 Canada Summer Games, scoring 13 points in a 76–63 loss to Team Manitoba in the bronze medal game. [14] [15] In 2018, she averaged 14.4 points and a tournament-high 8.8 rebounds per game to lead her team to a fourth-place finish at the 17U National Championships and again earned second-team all-star honours. [13] Finally, in 2019, Ejim averaged 13.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game to guide Team Alberta to the silver medal at the 17U National Championships, earning second-team all-star honours for the third time. [12]

Recruiting

Ejim was one of the highest-ranked Canadian recruits in the class of 2020. By the end of her junior season, she had narrowed her choices down to Gonzaga and Iowa State. [16] On November 13, 2019, she signed her National Letter of Intent to play college basketball at Gonzaga. [8] "I knew Gonzaga was the place I was going to get the best four years out of my life," explained Ejim. "The academics are a bonus, but the family atmosphere and the competitiveness I felt from the university and team was something I really wanted." [17]

College career

Freshman season

On January 14, 2021, Ejim scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds in a 71–52 victory over Santa Clara. [18] In her next game, on January 16, she posted 10 points and three rebounds on five-for-five shooting in a 76–52 win over San Francisco. [19] Two days later, Ejim was named the West Coast Conference (WCC) Freshman of the Week. [20] Gonzaga reached the WCC tournament championship game in March, where she recorded a season-high 13 points and nine rebounds to lead her team to a 43–42 win over AP No. 15 BYU. [18] [21] Ejim was named to the all-tournament team. [21] As a freshman, Ejim averaged 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in a limited role off the bench. [16] [22] Despite her limited minutes, she improved her skills throughout the season by working out with teammate Louise Forsythe. [3] "Even though I didn’t get to play much, I truly cherish the moments I had with Lou," Ejim reflected years later. [3]

Sophomore season

Ahead of her sophomore season in 2021–22, Ejim improved her footwork and her midrange jumper in the summer. [16] Following the graduation of sisters Jenn and LeeAnne Wirth, Ejim took on a larger role on the team. [16] She made her season debut on November 11, 2021, posting 14 points and eight rebounds on seven-of-nine shooting in a 72–47 win over Montana State. [23] On December 12, Ejim recorded six points, 11 rebounds, and a season-high five blocks in a 64–54 victory over Stephen F. Austin. [24] [25] She registered her first career double-double on January 6, 2022, tallying 22 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes in a 76–65 win over Portland. [26] [27] On February 7, Ejim scored a team-high 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 21 minutes in a 55–49 win over San Francisco. [28] On February 12, she earned her first career start against San Francisco. [24] At the end of the regular season, Ejim was named the WCC Sixth Woman of the Year and earned second-team all-WCC honors. [29]

On March 7, Ejim posted 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in a 69–55 victory over San Francisco in the semifinals of the WCC tournament. [24] [30] She scored 11 points in their 71–59 win over AP No. 15 BYU in the title game the next day. [31] In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Ejim recorded 14 points and six rebounds in a 68–55 victory over Nebraska. [32] Gonzaga was then defeated by Louisville in the second round. As a sophomore, Ejim appeared in all 34 games and made one start, averaging 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game on 51.6 percent shooting. [17] [22]

Junior season

Ejim entered her junior season in 2022–23 as a preseason all-WCC selection. [33] On November 10, 2022, she made her season debut, recording 22 points and 10 rebounds in an 80–54 win over Long Beach State. [34] Two days later, Ejim scored 16 points, including her first career three-point shot, and had a season-high four steals in a 91–38 victory over Southern Utah. [35] [36] She was named the WCC Player of the Week for her performance in the first two games of the season. [37] On November 15, Ejim scored 26 points, including the game-winning basket, and grabbed seven rebounds in 24 minutes in a 66–64 win over Wyoming. [38] [39] At the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, Ejim posted 13 points and nine rebounds in a 79–67 overtime victory over AP No. 6 Louisville in the first round, followed by a nine-point, 11-rebound performance in a 70–66 loss to Marquette in the semifinals. [40] [41] On November 21, she was named the WCC Player of the Week for the second week in a row for her performances against Wyoming, Louisville, and Marquette. [42] Later that day, Ejim recorded 22 points and nine rebounds and made the game-winning shot in a 73–72 win over AP No. 23 Tennessee in the Battle 4 Atlantis third-place game. [43] On December 6, she scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds, shooting 13-of-17 from the field, in a 73–49 victory over Queens (NC). [44] On December 31, Ejim posted 24 points, eight rebounds, and a season-high three blocks in a 96–51 win over Loyola Marymount. [35] [45]

Ejim registered a double-double in each of her next two games, recording 15 points and 12 rebounds in a 63–52 victory over San Francisco on January 5, 2023, followed by a 16-point, 12-rebound performance in a 78–61 win over Santa Clara two days later. [46] [47] On January 19, she scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in an 81–78 victory over Pacific. [48] Two days later, on January 21, Ejim had 24 points and four rebounds on nine-of-12 shooting to lead Gonzaga to an 82–57 win over Saint Mary's. [49] On February 2, she posted 26 points, seven rebounds, and a season-high-tying four steals in a 77–72 loss to Santa Clara, snapping their 14-game win streak. [35] [50] In her next game, on February 4, Ejim recorded 16 points and nine rebounds, and hit a buzzer beater at the end of the first quarter from beyond half-court, in a 78–56 win over San Francisco. [51] On February 18, she scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds in their final home game of the season, a 65–51 victory over Saint Mary's. [52] In her next game, on February 23, Ejim posted 12 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in a 73–61 win over San Diego. [35] [53] Two days later, she had 19 points and 10 rebounds on eight-of-11 shooting in a 58–51 victory over BYU to clinch the WCC regular-season title outright. [54] Ejim was named the WCC Player of the Week for her performances against San Diego and BYU. [55] She earned first-team All-WCC honors on the season. [56]

On March 6, Ejim recorded 21 points, 11 rebounds, a season-high five assists, three steals, and two blocks in a 79–64 victory over BYU in the semifinals of the WCC tournament. [35] [57] She followed that up with a 21-point, 14-rebound performance in a 64–60 loss to Portland in the championship game and was named to the all-tournament team. [58] On March 17, Ejim led her team with 19 points and eight rebounds in a 71–48 loss to Ole Miss in the first round of the NCAA tournament. [59] As a junior, she made 33 starts, averaging 16.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game on 53.4 percent shooting. [22] Ejim recorded eight double-doubles and led her team in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and blocks. [60] [61]

Senior season

On November 6, 2023, Ejim made her senior season debut, recording 17 points, eights rebounds, and a season-high five assists in an 83–70 win over Montana. [62] [63] On November 12, she put up 22 points, including 19 in the first half, along with nine rebounds and four assists in a 91–70 victory over Toledo. [64] In her next game, on November 15, Ejim posted 20 points, eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in a 83–55 win over North Florida. [65] Three days later, she had 17 points, 10 rebounds, and a season-high-tying five assists in an 80–64 victory over Wyoming. [62] [66] Ejim was named the WCC Player of the Week on November 27 after averaging 18.7 points on 75 percent shooting in three games at the Betty Chancellor Classic, including back-to-back 23-point scoring efforts against Alabama and AP No. 20 Louisville. [67] She earned WCC Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week after she logged 23 points and 10 rebounds in an 82–80 win over Eastern Washington on November 29, [68] [69] followed by a 27-point, 12-rebound performance in a 96–78 upset win over AP No. 3 Stanford on December 3 – the highest-ranked win in program history. [70] Ejim was also named the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week by the USBWA. [71] In her next game, on December 7, she scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds in a 78–70 overtime victory over California. [72] Two days later, she recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists in an 80–72 win over Rice. [73] Ejim earned the WCC Player of the Week award for the third week in a row. [74] On December 20, she posted 27 points, including 21 in the first half, along with seven rebounds and a season-high four blocks in an 81–69 victory over Arizona at the Jerry Colangelo Classic. [62] [75] In her next game, on December 22, Ejim scored 22 points on nine-of-11 shooting to lead Gonzaga to a 67–54 win over New Mexico in the regular season finale. [76] She earned her fourth WCC Player of the Week award of the season. [77]

On January 13, 2024, Ejim scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in an 85–67 win over San Diego. [78] In her next game, on January 18, she posted 24 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks in 26 minutes in a 72–48 victory over Loyola Marymount. [79] On January 25, Ejim recorded 19 points, 13 rebounds, and a season-high-tying five assists in an 82–45 win over Santa Clara. [80] Two days later, on January 27, she had 21 points, including 15 in the first half, and 13 rebounds in a 73–54 victory over San Francisco. [81] Ejim was voted the WCC co-Player of the Week for her performances against Santa Clara and San Francisco, sharing the award with Zeryhia Aokuso of Saint Mary's. [82] On February 3, she logged 21 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks in a 104–39 win over Pacific. [62] [83] Ejim missed the next two games – both Gonzaga victories – while on international duty with the Canadian women's national team. [84] [85] On February 17, she put up a season-high 28 points, along with nine rebounds and four assists, in a 91–78 win over Pacific to clinch the WCC regular season title. [62] [86] On February 22, Ejim announced that she would be returning for a fifth season of eligibility, granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, immediately prior to scoring 20 points and grabbing six rebounds in a 74–48 victory over San Francisco. [87] On February 24, she posted 17 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and a season-high five steals in a 75–41 win over Pepperdine. [62] [88] Ejim earned her sixth WCC Player of the Week award of the season for her performances against San Francisco and Pepperdine. [89] Gonzaga finished conference play with a perfect 16–0 record and outscored their league opponents by an average of 30.7 points per game. [90] Ejim was named the WCC Player of the Year and WCC Defensive Player of the Year, as well as a first-team All-WCC selection. [91] [92]

Ejim helped Gonzaga achieve a runner-up finish at the WCC tournament. [93] She recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds in their 72–61 win over Pacific in the semifinals. [94] However, the Bulldogs suffered a 67–66 defeat to Portland in the championship game; Ejim posted 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss and was named to the all-tournament team. [93] In the first round of the NCAA tournament, she put up 25 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists in a 75–56 victory over UC Irvine. [95] Ejim scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 77–66 win over AP No. 21 Utah in the second round. [96] Gonzaga reached the Sweet Sixteen, where she had 14 points and five rebounds before fouling out in a 69–47 loss to AP No. 4 Texas. [97] The Bulldogs finished the season at 32–4 – the best record in program history. [98] As a senior, Ejim played in 34 games and averaged 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.4 steals and one block per game on 60.1 percent shooting. [22] She was named the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year and received honorable mention All-American recognition from the Associated Press (AP) and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). [99] [100] [101]

National team career

Junior national team

Ejim represented the Canada at the 2017 FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In five games, she averaged 5.8 points and six rebounds per game, helping her team win the silver medal. In 2018, Ejim joined the national under-17 team for a tune-up tournament in Latvia, averaging 5.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in three games. [9] [12] Later that year, she played at the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Minsk, Belarus, where she averaged 6.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in seven games. [12] Canada finished in ninth place.

At the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, Ejim averaged 0.7 points and two rebounds per game in a limited role as Canada finished in sixth place. [12] Two years later, she played in the 2021 FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, where she averaged 13.4 points and 9.4 rebounds in seven games and guided Canada to a fifth-place finish. [12] [102] She led her team with 12 points and 13 rebounds in a 72–61 win over the Czech Republic in the fifth-place game. [102]

In July 2022, Ejim helped the national under-23 team to a gold medal at the inaugural GLOBL JAM, a competition "put on by Canada Basketball and Sportsnet to fill the gap between Under-19 and senior-level FIBA competitions." [4] In the semifinals, she recorded six points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks in an 85–60 win over the United States. [103] [104] [lower-alpha 1] In the championship game, Ejim posted nine points and eight rebounds in a 78–60 victory over France. [105]

Senior national team

Ejim earned her maiden call-up to the senior national team ahead of the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. [4] In seven games, she averaged 7.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, helping her team win the bronze medal. [4] During her senior season at Gonzaga, Ejim convinced her coaching staff to allow her to take a few weeks off to represent Canada at their Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Hungary in February 2024. [4] "I know that this opportunity that I have with Canada basketball, it does come once in a lifetime sometimes," she said. "So just really understanding that and honestly just advocating for myself to be able to go." [4]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold Career best°League leader

College

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGTOPPG
2020–21 Gonzaga 2506.560.60.054.22.10.20.30.20.53.7
2021–22 Gonzaga 34120.851.60.070.05.61.11.31.22.210.1
2022–23 Gonzaga 333327.553.431.380.18.41.61.50.92.316.8
2023–24 Gonzaga 343327.360.114.381.58.72.31.41.01.819.7
Career1266721.556.023.176.66.51.41.20.91.813.2
Statistics retrieved from Sports-Reference. [22]

Player profile

Ejim stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and plays the forward position as a "traditional post" player. [106] During her junior year at Gonzaga, Oren Weisfeld of Sportsnet described her as "an undersized big who uses her long arms to poke the ball free and her athleticism to out-leap similar-sized players for rebounds." [107] Later that season, Jim Allen of The Spokesman-Review called Ejim "a premier forward with one of the best high post moves in the country." [108] Two months into her senior season, Charlie Creme of ESPN ranked her as the 25th best player in college basketball, and remarked that her "elite footwork and quick moves, using either hand, allow her to regularly outmaneuver taller defenders in the post, where she does her best work." [109] As her college career came to an end, Seth Sommerfeld of Inlander opined that despite being officially listed as a forward, Ejim was "actually a slightly undersized center" who took advantage of her "athleticism, touch, drive and footwork" to outmaneuver her opponents. [5]

Personal life

Ejim is of Nigerian descent. She has ten siblings: four older brothers, three younger brothers and three younger sisters. [5] Four of her brothers played professional basketball: Melvin, Ryan, Kenny and Deon. [110] [111]

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the resulting protests, Ejim and her Gonzaga teammates participated in "a pregame video that called for social and racial justice." [112] Ejim was also one of several Gonzaga players to kneel during the national anthem, which garnered both praise and criticism from fans. [112] "The movement was always there," she said of the struggle for racial equality. “With George Floyd, it escalated more, but it's a thing that never really stopped. [112]

Notes

  1. ↑ The United States was represented by the VCU Rams women's basketball team.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Graves</span> American basketball coach

Kelly Lee Graves is the current head women's basketball coach at the University of Oregon. Previously, Graves was the head women's basketball coach at St. Mary's from 1997 to 2000, as well as Gonzaga University from 2000 to 2014. He was formerly an assistant coach for the Portland Pilots (1994–1997) and St. Mary Gaels, where he later got his first head coaching stint with the Gaels from 1997 to 2000. From the 2004–2005 season to the 2013–2014 season, he guided Gonzaga to ten consecutive West Coast Conference regular season titles. The 2007 team went 13–1 in conference play, and later won the WCC conference tournament. The school also received its first ever NCAA tournament appearance. He was named WCC co-coach of the year for his accomplishments. In 2005, 2010, and 2011, Gonzaga went undefeated in WCC regular season play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courtney Vandersloot</span> American and Hungarian basketball player

Courtney Vandersloot is an American and Hungarian basketball point guard for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague Women. Drafted by the Chicago Sky with the third pick in the 2011 WNBA draft, she was selected as an All-Star and named to the All-Rookie Team in her rookie year. She was named an All-Star again in 2019, 2021 and 2023, and led the Sky to their first WNBA Championship in 2021. She led the WNBA in assists in 2014 and for five consecutive seasons during 2017–2021, and holds the all-time WNBA records for most assists in a season (300), highest assists-per-game in a season (9.1), and highest career assists-per-game (6.2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Fortier</span> American basketball coach

Lisa Mispley Fortier is an American basketball coach, currently the head coach of the women's basketball team at Gonzaga University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killian Tillie</span> French basketball player

Killian Wiard Tillie is a French professional basketball player who last played for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Tillie joined Gonzaga University beginning in the 2016–17 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rui Hachimura</span> Japanese-Beninese basketball player (born 1998)

Rui Hachimura is a Japanese professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and has played for the Japan national team. He plays both the small forward and power forward positions. After being selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA draft, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Perkins</span> American basketball player

Joshua De Vante Perkins is an American professional basketball player who last played for Apollon Patras of the Greek Basket League. He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Haiden Denise Palmer is an American former basketball player. She played college basketball for Oregon State and Gonzaga before going on to play professionally. She won the Icelandic championship and Icelandic Cup with Snæfell in 2016 while being named the Foreign Player of the Year, Playoffs MVP and the Cup MVP. She later went on to play in Germany where she won the German Cup in 2018 with TSV 1880 Wasserburg. In 2021, she win the Icelandic Cup again, this time with Haukar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Nembhard</span> Canadian basketball player (born 2000)

Andrew William Nembhard is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Florida Gators and the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Joël Ayayi is a French professional basketball player for JL Bourg of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Kispert</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Corey James Kispert is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, where he was a consensus first-team All-American as a senior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jalen Suggs</span> American basketball player (born 2001)

Jalen Rashon Suggs is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was selected by the Magic with the fifth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drew Timme</span> American basketball player (born 2000)

Andrew Matthew Timme is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA Summer League. He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He was a three-time consensus All-American selection, including first-team honors as a senior in 2023. He was twice voted the WCC Player of the Year and ended his career as Gonzaga's all-time leading scorer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chet Holmgren</span> American basketball player (born 2002)

Chet Thomas Holmgren is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 2nd overall in the 2022 NBA draft, he played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. A consensus five-star recruit and the number-one player in the 2021 class, he stands 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) and plays the center and power forward positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kameron Edwards</span> American professional basketball player

Kameron Edwards is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Ontario Clippers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Pepperdine Waves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nolan Hickman</span> American basketball player

Nolan Hickman Jr. is an American college basketball player for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West Coast Conference (WCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexie Hull</span> American basketball player (born 1999)

Lexie Lauren Hull is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal, with whom she was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection, won the national championship as a junior and received the Senior CLASS Award and Elite 90 Award in her senior season. Hull attended Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley, Washington, where she helped her team win two state titles and was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN.

Aidan Mahaney is an American college basketball player for the UConn Huskies of the Big East Conference. He previously played for the Saint Mary's Gaels of the West Coast Conference.

Braden Huff is an American college basketball player for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of the West Coast Conference (WCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaylynne Truong</span> Vietnamese-American professional basketball player (born 2001)

Kaylynne Truong is a Vietnamese-American basketball player who plays for PAOK. She was drafted by the Washington Mystics in the 2024 WNBA draft. She is also a player for the Vietnam women's national team. She played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

Brynna Maxwell is an American professional basketball player who is a free agent. She was drafted by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA draft. She played college basketball for the Utah Utes and Gonzaga Bulldogs.

References

  1. 1 2 Wolstat, Ryan (February 15, 2019). "Raptors out of the all-star spotlight this time around". Toronto Sun . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Yvonne Ejim - Player Profile". FIBA . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Lee, Greg (February 26, 2024). "Legacy on the rise: Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim keeps grinding, with dreams of No. 15 someday heading to the rafters". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on February 27, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Weisfeld, Oren (January 26, 2024). "Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim represents the new guard of Canadian women's basketball". Sportsnet . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 Sommerfeld, Seth (March 21, 2024). "Yvonne Ejim's All-American level interior play fuels one of the best Gonzaga teams in program history". Inlander . Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "NCBC Player Yvonne Ejim Makes National Team". NCBC Thunder. November 13, 2017. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  7. ↑ Fluker, Sydney (November 3, 2021). "Meet the queen in the north: Yvonne Ejim continues to reign over". The Gonzaga Bulletin . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Zags Sign Yvonne Ejim to National Letter of Intent". Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics. November 13, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  9. 1 2 Allen, Jim (June 19, 2019). "Gonzaga women's basketball expected to sign Canadian forward Yvonne Ejim". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Five Canadians Represent at NCAA Next Generation Event". CROWN Scout Girls. April 7, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  11. ↑ Powell, Shaun (March 18, 2021). "NBA Academies get a moment to shine in NCAA Tournament's spotlight". National Basketball Association . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Yvonne Ejim" (PDF). Canada Basketball . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Five Team Alberta athletes named All-Stars at Nationals". Alberta Basketball Association. August 12, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  14. ↑ "2017 Canada Summer Games | Team Alberta Results" (PDF). Government of Alberta . Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Scoresheet 17U Girls | Manitoba - Alberta" (PDF). Canada Summer Games . Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Allen, Jim (January 19, 2022). "Gonzaga forward Yvonne Ejim has high aspirations on and off the court". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  17. 1 2 "Calgary's Ejim, Kyei on Team Canada for GLOBL JAM basketball showcase". Calgary Sun . July 4, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  18. 1 2 "Yvonne Ejim 2020-21 Game Log". Sports-Reference.com . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  19. ↑ Gilbert, Connor (January 16, 2021). "Gonzaga women lean on bench points, hot shooting in rout of San Francisco". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  20. ↑ "BYU's Gustin, Gonzaga's Ejim Collect UCU WCC Weekly Honors" (Press release). West Coast Conference. November 18, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  21. 1 2 Allen, Jim (March 9, 2021). "Gonzaga women's notebook: Freshman Yvonne Ejim stepped up when the Zags needed her most". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 "Yvonne Ejim College Stats". Sports-Reference.com . Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  23. ↑ Allen, Jim (November 11, 2021). "Gonzaga women welcome back fans to the Kennel with big win against Montana State 72-47". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  24. 1 2 3 "Yvonne Ejim 2021-22 Game Log". Sports-Reference.com . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  25. ↑ Allen, Jim (December 12, 2021). "Gonzaga women make pair of late 3-pointers to pull away from Stephen F. Austin". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  26. ↑ "College women's basketball: Kempton's career night paces Zags". Coeur d'Alene Press . January 7, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  27. ↑ Allen, Jim (January 6, 2022). "Melody Kempton, Yvonne Ejim lead Gonzaga women past Portland in WCC opener". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  28. ↑ Allen, Jim (February 7, 2022). "Gonzaga women lock down San Francisco in final minutes, survive for 55-49 win". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  29. ↑ Allen, Jim (March 2, 2022). "Gonzaga's Kayleigh Truong, Melody Kempton make all-WCC team". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  30. ↑ Allen, Jim (March 7, 2022). "Gonzaga women hold off San Francisco for berth in WCC championship game". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  31. ↑ Allen, Jim (March 8, 2022). "Officially NCAA bound: Gonzaga women beat 15th-ranked BYU for WCC championship". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  32. ↑ "Canada's Yvonne Ejim scores 14 as Gonzaga beats Nebraska". CBC Sports . March 18, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Gonzaga Picked to Win 2022-23 WCC Women's Basketball Championship" (Press release). West Coast Conference. October 5, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  34. ↑ Allen, Jim (November 10, 2022). "Gonzaga women start strong, roll Long Beach State 80-54 in season-opener". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 "Yvonne Ejim 2022-23 Game Log". Sports-Reference.com . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  36. ↑ Allen, Jim (November 12, 2022). "Gonzaga women shoot lights-out on 3-pointers, roll Southern Utah 91-38". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  37. ↑ "Ejim And Heal Take First 2022-23 UCU WCC Women's Basketball Weekly Honors" (Press release). West Coast Conference. November 14, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  38. ↑ Allen, Jim (November 15, 2022). "Yvonne Ejim's career-high 26 points leads Gonzaga over Wyoming 66-64". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  39. ↑ "Yvonne Ejim leads Gonzaga women to victory at Wyoming". The Seattle Times . November 15, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  40. ↑ Fluker, Sydney (November 19, 2022). "Women's basketball gets revenge on Louisville in overtime win". The Gonzaga Bulletin . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  41. ↑ "WBB Falls Just Short of Marquette, 70-66". Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics. November 20, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  42. ↑ "Yvonne Ejim Repeats UCU WCC Women's Basketball Weekly Winners". Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics. November 21, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  43. ↑ Allen, Jim (November 21, 2022). "Yvonne Ejim scores late go-ahead to lift Gonzaga over No. 23 Tennessee for third place in Battle 4 Atlantis". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  44. ↑ Allen, Jim (December 6, 2022). "Yvonne Ejim's 32 points leads Gonzaga women past overmatched Queens University". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  45. ↑ "No. 19 Gonzaga women roll Loyola Marymount 96-51". The Spokesman-Review . December 31, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  46. ↑ Allen, Jim (January 5, 2023). "No. 20 Gonzaga women take over in fourth quarter to beat San Francisco 63-52". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  47. ↑ Allen, Jim (January 7, 2023). "No. 20 Gonzaga women build early lead, beat Santa Clara 78-61". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  48. ↑ Allen, Jim (January 19, 2023). "No. 16 Gonzaga women withstand late surge, beat Pacific 81-78 for 11th straight win". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  49. ↑ Allen, Jim (January 21, 2023). "No. 16 Gonzaga women roll past Saint Mary's 82-57 to remain unbeaten in WCC play". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  50. ↑ Allen, Jim (February 2, 2023). "Gonzaga women's 14-game win streak snapped at Santa Clara 77-72". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  51. ↑ "No. 17 WBB Takes Over San Francisco, 78-56". Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics. February 4, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  52. ↑ Allen, Jim (February 18, 2023). "No. 20 Gonzaga women down Saint Mary's 65-51 to finish season unbeaten in the Kennel". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  53. ↑ Allen, Jim (February 23, 2023). "Gonzaga women beat San Diego 73-61, clinch at least share of WCC championship". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  54. ↑ Allen, Jim (February 25, 2023). "Gonzaga women beat BYU on the road 58-51, clinch outright WCC championship". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  55. ↑ Allen, Jim (February 28, 2023). "Gonzaga forward Yvonne Ejim wins WCC Player of the Week award". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  56. ↑ "WCC Announces 2022-23 Women's Basketball All-Conference Awards" (Press release). West Coast Conference. March 1, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  57. ↑ Allen, Jim (March 6, 2023). "Yvonne Ejim's power in the paint leads Gonzaga women past BYU into WCC championship game". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  58. ↑ Allen, Jim (March 7, 2023). "Portland women upset top-seeded Gonzaga 64-60 to win WCC Tournament championship". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  59. ↑ "Ole Miss women clamp down on defense to eliminate Gonzaga from NCAA tourney". The Seattle Times . March 17, 2023. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  60. ↑ Lee, Greg (October 25, 2023). "Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim, Brynna Maxwell, Kaylynne Truong named to Becky Hammon Player of the Year Award watch list". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  61. ↑ Creme, Charlie (October 5, 2023). "Predicting the women's player of the year in all 32 conferences". ESPN . Retrieved April 16, 2024. Becoming a full-time starter for the first-time last season, Ejim led the defending regular-season champs in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots...
  62. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Yvonne Ejim 2023-24 Game Log". Sports-Reference.com . Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  63. ↑ Lee, Greg (November 6, 2023). "'We didn't panic': Montana goes toe-to-toe with Gonzaga women, but Bulldogs pull away for 83-70 win". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  64. ↑ Lee, Greg (November 12, 2023). "Kayleigh Truong scores career-high 21 points to lead Gonzaga women over Toledo 91-70". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  65. ↑ Lee, Greg (November 15, 2023). "Kayleigh Truong's 21 points lead Gonzaga to win against North Florida". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  66. ↑ Lee, Greg (November 18, 2023). "Gonzaga women earn plenty of second chances, put away Wyoming 80-64". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  67. ↑ "Ejim, Ananiev and Wawszkowicz Named WCC Women's Basketball Players Of The Week" (Press release). West Coast Conference. November 27, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  68. ↑ "Ejim, Ananiev Repeat WCC Women's Basketball Players Of The Week" (Press release). West Coast Conference. December 4, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  69. ↑ Lee, Greg (November 29, 2023). "Eliza Hollingsworth's go-ahead basket helps Gonzaga escape with win at Eastern Washington 82-80". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  70. ↑ Pickman, Ben (December 3, 2023). "No. 3 Stanford loses first game of season to unranked Gonzaga: What went right for the Bulldogs". The Athletic . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  71. ↑ "Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim named Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week". The Spokesman-Review . December 5, 2023. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  72. ↑ Lee, Greg (December 7, 2023). "No. 23 Gonzaga women overcome poor shooting to beat California 78-70 in overtime". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  73. ↑ Lee, Greg (December 9, 2023). "No. 23 Gonzaga women use 15-0 start to beat Rice 80-72". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  74. ↑ "Women's basketball: Yvonne Ejim earns third straight WCC player of the week award; GU climbs to 21st as WSU falls out of poll". The Spokesman-Review . December 11, 2023. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  75. ↑ Lee, Greg (December 20, 2023). "No. 20 Gonzaga uses efficient offense to beat Arizona 81-69". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  76. ↑ Lee, Greg (December 22, 2023). "Gonzaga women welcome back two players, close nonconference with 67-56 win over New Mexico". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  77. ↑ "Ejim, Ross Awarded WCC Women's Basketball Players Of The Week" (Press release). West Coast Conference. December 26, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
  78. ↑ Lee, Greg (January 13, 2024). "No. 16 Gonzaga women eventually find their flow, beat San Diego 85-67". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  79. ↑ Lee, Greg (January 18, 2024). "No. 17 Gonzaga women roll past Loyola Marymount 72-48 for coach Lisa Fortier's 250th career win". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  80. ↑ Lee, Greg (January 25, 2024). "No. 17 Gonzaga women complete season sweep of Santa Clara, extend win streak to 13". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  81. ↑ "Canadians in NCAA Roundup: Gonzaga's Ejim posts double-double in win". Sportsnet . January 27, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  82. ↑ "Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim earns her fifth WCC player of the week award". The Spokesman-Review . January 29, 2024. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  83. ↑ Lee, Greg (February 3, 2024). "No. 19 Gonzaga women make program-record 19 3-pointers in rout of Pacific 104-39". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  84. ↑ Lee, Greg (February 13, 2024). "No Yvonne, no problem: With star forward Ejim away, Gonzaga women show they can still play". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  85. ↑ Lee, Greg (February 14, 2024). "Women's basketball: Gonzaga gets Yvonne Ejim back, EWU hits the road and WSU looks for answers". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024.
  86. ↑ Lee, Greg (February 17, 2024). "No. 17 Gonzaga women overcome slow start, beat Pacific to clinch West Coast Conference championship". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on February 18, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  87. ↑ Lee, Greg (February 22, 2024). "Yvonne Ejim announces return for another year before Gonzaga routs San Francisco 74-48". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  88. ↑ Lee, Greg (February 24, 2024). "Gonzaga women close in on WCC sweep after 75-41 rout of Pepperdine". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  89. ↑ "Ejim, Aokuso Named WCC Women's Basketball Players Of The Week" (Press release). West Coast Conference. February 26, 2024. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  90. ↑ Maupin, Will (February 29, 2024). "Gonzaga women complete a dominant, undefeated WCC hoops season". Inlander . Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  91. ↑ "WCC Announces 2023-24 Women's Basketball All-Conference Awards" (Press release). West Coast Conference. March 5, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  92. ↑ Lee, Greg (March 5, 2024). "WCC names Yvonne Ejim top player, Lisa Fortier top coach as Gonzaga women dominate awards". The Spokesman-Review . Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  93. 1 2 "No. 14 WBB Drops to Portland, 67-66". Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics. March 12, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  94. ↑ White, Zach (March 11, 2024). "GU defeats Pacific in WCC semis to reach fourth consecutive title game". The Gonzaga Bulletin . Archived from the original on March 13, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  95. ↑ McCann, Cam (March 24, 2024). "Gonzaga overcomes slow start to advance to NCAA Tournament second round". The Gonzaga Bulletin . Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  96. ↑ Vejar, Alex (March 25, 2024). "Utah women's basketball season ends before the Sweet 16". The Salt Lake Tribune . Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  97. ↑ Allen, Jim (March 29, 2024). "'We took ourselves out of it': Gonzaga women suffer lowest-scoring game of season against Texas". The Gonzaga Bulletin . Archived from the original on March 30, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  98. ↑ Apprill-Sokol, Noah (March 30, 2024). "GU women's record-breaking season ends with Sweet 16 loss to Texas". The Gonzaga Bulletin . Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  99. ↑ Lee, Greg (April 3, 2024). "Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim named top player, Lisa Fortier top coach among mid-majors in 2023-24". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  100. ↑ "Yvonne Ejim Named AP All-American Honorable Mention". Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics. March 20, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  101. ↑ "Yvonne Ejim Tabbed WBCA All-American Honorable Mention". Gonzaga Bulldogs Athletics. April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  102. 1 2 "Canada earns a 5th place finish at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup with a 72-61 win over the Czech Republic". Canada Basketball. August 15, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  103. ↑ "Canada Basketball Federation Globl Jam 2022 | CAN 85:60 USA". FIBA . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  104. ↑ Ewing, Lori (July 9, 2022). "Canada's women's U23 basketball team advances to gold-medal game at Globl Jam with win over U.S." CBC Sports . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  105. ↑ MacKenzie, Holly (July 10, 2022). "Canadian women beat France to win GLOBL JAM title, Edwards named MVP". Sportsnet . Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  106. ↑ Lee, Greg (November 1, 2023). "College basketball 2023-24: GU women have 'uncommon' amount of returners. They're ready to show their best is yet to come". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  107. ↑ Weisfeld, Oren (November 25, 2022). "Canadians Abroad Roundup: Women to watch in the NCAA this season". Sportsnet . Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  108. ↑ Allen, Jim (March 4, 2023). "'Highest of highs and lowest of lows': The Gonzaga women's basketball team has endured plenty of bumps, bruises to get to March". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
  109. ↑ "Ranking the top 25 players in women's college basketball". ESPN . December 22, 2023. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  110. ↑ Fornez, Gustavo (August 3, 2023). "From family legacy to professional success: Deon Ejim's journey to the Calgary Surge". Calgary Journal. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  111. ↑ "Bio - Deon Ejim". Calgary Surge . Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  112. 1 2 3 Allen, Jim (December 14, 2022). "'She has all the tools': Yvonne Ejim continues to raise her game for 23rd-ranked Gonzaga". The Spokesman-Review . Retrieved April 14, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.