By: Jackson Wright
Burnsville, Minn. – The NSIC has announced the NSIC Women's Basketball awards for the 2023-24 season. Kami Wadsworth of USF was named the NSIC Freshman of the Year and to the NSIC All-Conference 2nd team. Kami is the first Cougar to win this award since Sam Knecht in the 2013-14 season.
Wadsworth claims the Freshman of the Year award for Women's Basketball in the NSIC while starting every game for USF this season. She, along with fellow true Freshmen Ayla Brown, were the only Cougars to start every game this year. Kami played a total of 838 minutes with an average of 31 per game, which is 2nd on the team only to Brown. Wadsworth was a force in the paint for USF all year as she scored exactly 400 points this season. She averaged 14.8 per game while shooting 45% from the field, 24% from the 3 point line, and 82% from the free throw line. Kami also led USF in rebounding this year with 122 total rebounds and an average of 4.5 per contest. She was also second on the team in assists for the year with a total of 50.
Head Coach Travis Traphagen had this to say about his standout Freshman, "I'm so proud of Kami and what she has brought to our program. To watch her growth even in her first year as a Cougar is remarkable. There is no one who wants to help her team more is why she is such a joy to coach. The future of USF basketball looks great when we have a player like Kami to help build around."
Wadsworth had an outstanding season especially towards the end of the year. She scored in double figures in every game except 4 all season. Her first 20 point game came against Minot State where she poured in 21 points to go along with 4 assists and 5 rebounds. Her two highest point totals of the year came on back to back days. First she scored her career high of 27 points against Minnesota Duluth, and then followed that up with her first career double-double as she recorded 26 points and 10 rebounds against Bemidji State back on February 16. In her last 3 games of the year she had 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists against Moorhead. Then against Minot at home she played a game high 38 minutes and recorded 24 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Finally, in USF's last game of the season she played 35 minutes and had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Kami and USF Women's Basketball has a very bright future. The USF Women's Basketball team would like to thank everyone for their continued support this season. Go Coo!
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