Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Mesa’s Daniella Turner is the 2021-22 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, the league announced Wednesday. Turner’s award was announced in conjunction with the league’s individual awards and the 2021-22 RMAC Women's Basketball All-Conference rosters. RMAC individual awards and all-conference rosters are voted on by the league’s 15 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for themselves or their players.
 
Turner has been a consistent offensive weapon for the Mavericks this season and ranks first in the league and second nationally for made field goals (217). She is shooting 47.2 percent from the field and averaging 19.1 points per game. The Boca Raton, Fla., native also averages 5.9 rebounds per contest and 165 rebounds in total this season. Turner and the Mavericks have secured a berth in the 2022 RMAC Women’s Basketball Tournament semifinals after a 79-48 win over UCCS in Tuesday’s opening round. CMU will now face MSU Denver Friday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. MT, inside Lockridge Arena in Golden, Colo.
 
Black Hills State’s Haylee Weathersby is the league’s Freshman of the Year after averaging 19.5 minutes for the Yellow Jackets in her freshman season. She made five starts and 25 appearances while averaging 7.8 points per game. Additionally, she was a consistent presence for BHSU with 4.1 rebounds per contest with 67 of her 102 rebounds coming off the defensive glass.
 
Colorado School of Mines’ Ashley Steffeck claims the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year award after leading the league’s best defense with an astounding 114 steals. She is pulling down 4.7 rebounds per game and has been a key figure in the Orediggers’ defensive scheme, which holds opponents to 54.1 points per game. Steffeck’s presence has allowed Mines to outscore opponents by 18.1 points per contest, a mark that ranks eighth in the nation.
 
After leading the Orediggers to their second-consecutive regular-season title, head coach Brittany Simpson is the RMAC Coach of the Year. Simpson pushed her squad to a 19-3 regular-season conference record, including a perfect 13-0 mark at home. In addition to the Orediggers’ scoring margin, Simpson has constructed a team that ranks first in the nation for total steals (439) and ninth nationally for scoring defense (54.1).
 
Ten schools are represented on the 2021-22 RMAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference rosters, led by four selections from Colorado School of Mines. Colorado Mesa, Colorado State University Pueblo and Westminster check in next with three selections apiece. Metropolitan State University of Denver claims two spots, while Black Hills State, Fort Lewis, South Dakota Mines, University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Western Colorado round out the rosters with one honoree each.