By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. –  Colorado School of Mines sophomores Sofia Baldessari and Jade Leon claimed the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Players of the Week awards, presented by Genesee Nutrition and announced Monday.

Offensive

Sofia Baldessari, Colorado School of Mines (Sophomore, Guard, Englewood, Colorado)
Baldessari set a program record with 45 points against Nelson College and added another 25 points against Northern New Mexico last week. Her 45-point outing was the fourth-best performance in RMAC history and the best in Division II this season. Baldessari made 16-of-23 field goals (70 percent), including 4-of-9 from three-point range, and was 9-of-10 at the free throw line. She also had seven rebounds and five steals in the Orediggers' 98-42 victory. Baldessari followed that with a 10-of-17 shooting effort in a 100-49 win against Northern New Mexico, including 3-of-6 from three-point land, while grabbing another seven rebounds. In the two games, she made 65 percent (26-of-40) of her field goals, 47 percent (7-of-15) from three-point range, and 92 percent (11-of-12) of her free throws.

Also Nominated:  Hayley Luther, Colorado Christian; Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa; Caitlin Turnbow, Regis; Morning Grace Spotted Bear, South Dakota Mines.

Defensive

Jade Leon, Colorado School of Mines (Sophomore, Guard, Miami, Florida)
Leon nabbed eight steals while averaging a team-high 27.8 minutes per game to lead a Colorado School of Mines defense that allowed just 45.5 points per game in a pair of victories last week. She opened the weekend with three steals and 13 rebounds (eight defensive) in the Orediggers’ 98-42 win against Nelson College. Her 13 rebounds are the seventh-most in the league this season and came despite playing only 29 minutes. Leon then recorded five steals, a blocked shot, and five rebounds (three defensive) in a 100-49 win against Northern New Mexico.

Also Nominated:  Ja’Shelle Johnson, Colorado Christian; Mykaela Moore, Colorado Mesa; Jessica Bollwahn, Regis; Morning Grace Spotted Bear, South Dakota Mines. 

Previous Weekly Award Winners

Week	Offensive	Defensive
Weeks 0-1: Nov. 17	Ayianna Johnson, UCCS	Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa
Week 2: Nov. 24	Katie Lamb, Fort Lewis	Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa
Week 3: Dec. 1	Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa	Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa
Week 4: Dec. 8	Mason Rowland, Colorado Mesa	Elaina Watson, Adams State
Week 5: Dec. 15	Ivey Schmidt, Western Colorado	Elaina Watson, Adams State
Week 6: Dec. 22	Kapiolani Anitielu, New Mexico Highlands	Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa
Week 7: Jan. 5	Jade Leon, Colorado School of Mines	Sofia Baldessari, Colorado School of Mines

 

RMAC Approach: Women’s Basketball Week 8

Schedule Grid

Tuesday, Jan. 6
	UCCS at Colorado Christian	5 p.m.	RMAC Network
Thursday, Jan. 8
	#11 Colorado Mesa at New Mexico Highlands	5 p.m.	RMAC Network
	CSU Pueblo at UCCS	5 p.m.	RMAC Network
	South Dakota Mines at MSU Denver	5:30 p.m.	RMAC Network
	Westminster at Adams State	5:30 p.m.	RMAC Network
	Chadron State at Colorado School of Mines	5:30 p.m.	RMAC Network
	Western Colorado at Fort Lewis	5:30 p.m.	RMAC Network
	Black Hills State at Regis	7 p.m.	RMAC Network
Saturday, Jan. 10
	Black Hills State at MSU Denver	1 p.m.	RMAC Network
	Western Colorado at New Mexico Highlands	1 p.m.	RMAC Network
	Chadron State at Regis	1 p.m.	RMAC Network
	Westminster at Fort Lewis	1 p.m.	RMAC Network
	Colorado Christian at CSU Pueblo	1 p.m.	RMAC Network
	#11 Colorado Mesa at Adams State	1 p.m.	RMAC Network
	South Dakota Mines at Colorado School of Mines	1 p.m.	RMAC Network

Rankings: WBCA Coaches Poll (updated on Tuesdays). Yellow indicates an RMAC contest.

The Weekly Preview

The race for the 2025-26 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women’s basketball championship enters its third weekend, leading off a remaining schedule chock full of conference play until the regular season’s end on Feb. 28.

The RMAC’s Week 3 slate is highlighted by a meeting between the league’s two unbeaten teams as nationally ranked Colorado Mesa University (14-1, 4-0 RMAC) travels to face Adams State University (10-4, 4-0 RMAC) in a 1 p.m. Saturday contest in Alamosa. After the first four RMAC games of the season, the Mavericks lead the league in both scoring offense (77.3 points per game), defense (45.3 ppg), and margin (+32.0).  The Grizzlies are one of three RMAC teams averaging more than 75 points per game, ranking third in the league in both scoring offense (75.3 ppg) and scoring margin (+13.8) in RMAC play.

Behind the lead pair, four teams are tied at 3-1 entering the New Year: Black Hills State University, Colorado State University Pueblo, South Dakota Mines, and Western Colorado University. Among that quartet, Black Hills State finished 2025 with a five-game win streak, including three RMAC wins. CSU Pueblo brings a three-game win streak into the New Year, while Western Colorado looks to find the win column after losing back-to-back games to close out 2025.

Mavericks Charging On

Colorado Mesa enters the New Year with an 11-game winning streak that is tied for the eighth-longest active streak in Division II entering the week. The Mavericks are dominating opponents this season, as evidenced by their 23.2 scoring margin, which ranks sixth in Division II. Colorado Mesa’s lone loss this season was an 85-70 defeat at West Texas A&M, which is 13-1 this season with only a loss to unbeaten Grand Valley State.

Mavericks’ Reed Thyne Targeting RMAC’s Career Top Spots

With 16 regular-season games remaining, Colorado Mesa senior forward Olivia Reed Thyne’s sights are set on becoming the RMAC’s career leader in both scoring and rebounding. Entering this week’s action, she needs just 24 rebounds to break the RMAC’s 28-year-old record of 1,154 rebounds held by New Mexico Highland’s Nicole Allman. The RMAC scoring mark would be next on her radar as she needs just 126 points to break the record of 2,002 points set by NMHU’s Becky Gonzalez when her career ended in 2002.

Reed Thyne currently ranks No. 4 among the NCAA Division II active career leaders in scoring and is the division’s active career leader in rebounding with nearly 200 more rebounds than the second on the active list (Emporia State’s Gracie Gilpin).  Entering 2025-26, only 47 Division II women’s basketball players had recorded 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during their career.

RMAC Career Scoring Leaders

Rank	Points	Player
1.	2,002	Becky Gonzales, New Mexico Highlands, 1998-02
2.	1,996	Diana Lopez, Regis, 2003-07
3.	1,951	Abby Kirchoff, UC-Colorado Springs, 2011-15
4.	1,920	Tonya Stites, Colorado Mesa, 1991-94
5.	1,877	Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa, 2022-current
6.	1,869	Tricia Lukawski, Chadron State, 1989-93
7.	1,859	Vera Jo Bustos, Adams State, 2007-11
8.	1,850	Tae’lor Purdy, Regis, 2009-14
9.	1,801	Alisha Little, CSU Pueblo, 2021-25
10.	1,795	Sharaya Selsor, CMU/MSU, 2008-09, 10-11, 12-14

RMAC Career Rebounding Leaders

Rank	Points	Player
1.	1,154	Nicole Allman, N.M. Highlands, 1994-98
2.	1,131	Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa, 2022-current
3.	1,036	Dominique Skeehan, Adams State, 1982-85
4.	1,032	Tonya Stites, Colorado Mesa, 1991-94
5.	1,020	Abby Rosenthal, Colorado Christian, 2006-10
6.	1,012	Pam DeCosta, Colorado Mesa, 1983-86
7.	960	Nadia Furcha, CSU-Pueblo, 2000-04
8.	950	Denise Lopez, Regis, 2003-07
9.	946	Kristin Valencia, MSU Denver, 2009-13
10.	945	Amy Mohr, Fort Lewis, 2001-05

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About the RMAC

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 69 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.

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