“Women’s Basketball Kicks Off Mountain West Showdown Against Colorado State and Wyoming!”

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State women’s basketball commences Mountain West play at home against Colorado State on Sunday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m., before proceeding into 2025 on the road to Wyoming on Wednesday, Jan. 1, at 2 p.m.

HOW TO FOLLOW
All conference matches will be accessible to watch on the Mountain West Network. Radio coverage for all games will be available on 107.7 FM, with Ajay Salvesen providing commentary. Links to live statistics for all games will be posted on utahstateaggies.com, while updates will also be shared on the team’s social media platforms.

AGGIES VS EVERYONE
The Aggies and Rams will compete for the 41st time on Sunday, with Colorado State holding the advantage in the all-time series, 27-13. USU has suffered nine consecutive losses against CSU, with their last victory occurring in the opening round of the MW Tournament in 2019, which concluded a streak of four consecutive wins over the Rams. USU also secured the first seven encounters in the series from 1975-80 before Colorado State captured 17 of the following 19 matchups. Historically, the Aggies are 6-9 when playing at home against the Rams.

Utah State will face Wyoming for the 44th time in its program’s history, with the Cowgirls leading the series 32-11. Wyoming has triumphed in the last four games, with USU’s most recent win occurring in a 76-66 home victory in 2022. The two teams faced each other in the MW Tournament for three consecutive years from 2019 to 2021, with the Cowgirls prevailing in each of the three postseason battles. The Aggies have a record of 4-15 against Wyoming in Laramie, last securing a win in 2014.

I AM SPEED
Currently, the Aggies are regarded as the fastest team in the Mountain West, averaging 77.0 possessions every 40 minutes. New Mexico is second in the MW with 73.7 possessions per 40 minutes, while Niagara leads the nation with 85.7 possessions per 40 minutes.

ERASERS
Utah State has developed a knack for overcoming early challenges, especially during the team’s latest road journey. At Northern Colorado, the Aggies reduced a 14-point deficit to just three points in the opening half. USU completely eliminated a 14-point lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter against Omaha to push the game into overtime. In Daytona Beach, Utah State whittled down a 23-point deficit against Stetson to just a single point. At Grand Canyon, the Aggies methodically decreased a 19-point gap to only four points near the early stages of the fourth quarter. And at Idaho, Utah State erased an 11-point setback in the first quarter to equalize the score before halftime.

ON THE UPSWING
Utah State is positioned at the forefront of the Mountain West and ranks among the top in the nation for several year-over-year improvements from the 2023-24 season. This year, the Aggies are averaging 4.2 more steals per game and forcing 6.1 additional turnovers per game compared to last season, marking the most significant enhancements among MW teams. Other annual improvements for the Aggies include 7.2 more possessions per game (first in MW), 8.9 more field goal attempts per game (first in MW, sixth in the nation), 3.3 additional made 3-point field goals per game (first in MW), 12.7 more 3-point attempts per game (first in MW, second in nation) and a 14.8 percent surge in 3-point rate (first in MW, fourth in nation).

IN A VARIETY OF WAYS
The Aggies have experienced a different leading scorer in each of their last four contests and five out of their last six. Junior guard Mia Tarver topped the team with 12 points against Ohio State before junior guard Jamisyn Heaton recorded a team-high 16 points against Stetson and 14 points against UC Riverside. A trio of freshman guards led USU in three games, with Taliyah Logwood scoring nine points against Utah, Denae Skelton achieving a team-high 16 points at Grand Canyon, and Elise Livingston netting a team-high 16 points at Idaho. Overall, Utah State has had seven distinct players lead the team in scoring this season, including senior guard Cheyenne Stubbs and freshman guard Carlie Latta. Heaton leads the team with four occurrences of this achievement this year.

OUTSIZED EFFECT
Utah State stands as the sole team in the Mountain West that features two guards averaging at least 1.8 offensive rebounds per game this season. Heaton tops the Aggies with 6.5 rebounds per game and has captured 22 offensive rebounds, averaging two per game, while Logwood has gathered 19 offensive rebounds this season, ranking second on the team with an average of 4.4 rebounds per game.

LET IT FLY
Utah State occupies the ninth position in the nation with an average of 29.6 attempts from 3-point range per game this season. The Aggies are also ranked 43rd nationally with 8.2 successful 3-pointers per game. USU’s 3-point rate (the ratio of 3-point attempts to a team’s total field goal attempts) of 42.2 percent ranks first in the MW, with Colorado State trailing slightly in second at 41.1 percent.

FREEBIES
Following a sluggish beginning from the free throw line to start the season, the Aggies have shown substantial improvement in free throw shooting over their recent games. Heaton has spearheaded this effort, converting 19-of-22 on free throws in her last six games. Heaton now ranks eighth in the MW with a free throw percentage of 72.1 this season.

HEATON UP
Heaton achieved her first career double-double against Omaha, concluding with 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Aggies. Utah State has recorded two double-doubles this season, with Stubbs achieving her third career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds against CSUN.

STOLEN GOODS
Mia Tarver secured a career-high seven steals against CSUN, a feat only accomplished 28 times previously by a total of 19 players in the history of the school. Only four players have recorded at least seven steals in a single game since the program’s reinstatement in 2003 (Elise Nelson twice, Alice Coddington twice, Jenna Johnson, Danyelle Snelgro). Tarver’s seven steals are tied for the 14th-most all-time for a single game at Utah State. Currently, Tarver ranks third in the MW with an average of 2.3 steals per game, while Logwood closely follows in fifth place with 2.1 steals per game. As a team, the Aggies have displayed impressive defensive skills, ranking 49th nationally and second in the Mountain West with 10.8 steals per game.

AROUND THE (NATION) IN (34) DAYS

The Aggies will return to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Wednesday, Dec. 18, to face UC Riverside, a full 34 days after the team’s last home game against Cal State Bakersfield on Nov. 14. Utah State’s span of 34 days between home contests is the sixth-longest in the nation this season, trailing Columbia (47 days), UC Irvine (46), Texas A&M-Commerce (45), Stephen F. Austin (40), and William & Mary (35). By the total number of road and neutral games played between home matches, UtahState’s eight matches is equal for the longest run in the country, sharing the honor with Stephen F. Austin.

BLOCK PARTY
Utah State freshman forward Gracie Johnson stands among only four athletes in the program’s legacy to achieve three contests with five or more blocks within a single season. Moreover, she became the second freshman ever to accomplish this feat, joining program’s all-time block record holder Deja Mason. With eight blocks against Boise State, Johnson equaled the total program record for blocks in a single game. Johnson concluded the season with 36 blocks, enhancing her career total to 51, needing merely 16 additional blocks to enter the top-10 all-time at Utah State.

KEEP AN EYE ON THIS
Senior guard Cheyenne Stubbs requires just 12 more games to be eligible for Utah State’s all-time career scoring average list (minimum 50 games). Stubbs’ present scoring average of 15.1 points per game in an Aggie uniform would position her fifth all-time in the program’s history.

STARTER JACKETS
Utah State welcomes back two full-time starters from the previous season in senior guards Cheyenne Stubbs and Ivory Finley. The Aggies also bring back two additional players with starting experience. Senior guard/forward Samiana Suguturaga started the last 13 games of the 2023-24 season, while senior forward Allyzee Verdan made nine starts throughout the year, including the last seven games.

INTO THE HISTORY BOOKS
Last season, Stubbs registered one of the highest scoring seasons in the program’s history. She concluded the season with 482 points, surpassing Devyn Christensen (2011-12) and Ashlee Brown (2011-12) to ascend to eighth all-time at USU.

                Rk          Player Year     Points
                6.            Funda Nakkasoglu     2014-15              504
                7.            April Hatch      1983-84             487
                8.            Cheyenne Stubbs     2023-24             482
                9.            Ashlee Brown 2011-12              468
                10.         Devyn Christensen     2011-12              467

Stubbs’ scoring average of 16.1 points per game narrowly fell outside the all-time top-10 at USU. Nevertheless, Stubbs officially made her way into the top-10 in various other categories for a single season, such as three-pointers made (fifth, 59) and attempted (fourth, 174). Stubbs led the Aggies in scoring in 22 matches throughout the year, marking the highest count of leading scoring games in a single season since Funda Nakkasoglu led the team in 25 occasions during the 2015-16 season.

EN FUEGO
Stubbs notched two games with 30 or more points during the 2023-24 season, becoming only the 19th player in the program’s history to surpass the 30-point mark, and just the 12th to do so in multiple contests. Stubbs achieved her career-best of 32 points in Utah State’s victory at Nevada on Jan. 31, shooting 10-of-24 from the field (.417), 2-of-8 from three-point territory (.250), and 10-of-14 from the free-throw line (.714). Against UNLV, she also concluded the match with 30 points on 7-15 shooting (.467), including a 5-9 performance from beyond the arc (.556), and converted (11-14) from the charity stripe. She is now the 10th Aggie to record multiple 30-point games in a single season. Overall, Utah State has witnessed 48 occurrences in which an Aggie has reached 30 points or more. Stubbs’ 32 points against Nevada are tied for the 20th-most in a single game in Aggie history.

TOP SCORERS
Utah State returns its leading scorer from 25 out of 31 games played last season, including the team’s exhibition. Stubbs led the Aggies in scoring for 22 games this past season, while each of senior forward Allyzee Verdan, senior guard/forward Samiana Suguturaga, and senior guard Ivory Finley each recorded one game as USU’s leading scorer.

WELL-TRAVELED
Utah State’s roster includes players from eight various states, plus three international athletes in senior forward Allyzee Verdan (French Guiana), junior forward/center Sophie Sene (France), and freshman guard Denae Skelton (Canada). This marks the highest count of international players on USU’s roster since having four in 2019-20. Utah (four) and Idaho (three) are the only states represented by multiple Aggies. This is the first instance Utah has been the most populous state on USU’s roster since the 2021-22 season.

TRUE BLUE AGGIES
This year’s squad features a pair of players with family connections to Utah State. Senior guard/forward Samiana Suguturaga is the child of former Aggie football player Jay Suguturaga, who played tight end at USU from 2000-01. Additionally, sophomore forward Gracie Johnson has an older brother, Isaac, currently competing as a junior on the Utah State men’s basketball team. Johnson’s father, Darren, represented the USU men’s team in 1990-91, while her grandfather, Ronald, also played for Utah State.

NEW TEAM, WHO DIS?
The Aggies are set to welcome 10 newcomers to the 2024-25 roster. Utah State brings in three transfers in juniors Sophie Sene (Rhode Island), Mia Tarver (Salt Lake CC), and Jamisyn Heaton (College of Southern Idaho). USU also adds a total of seven freshmen, including Ava Smith (Camas, Washington), Denae Skelton (West Kelowna, B.C., Canada), Riley Ward (Preston, Idaho), Carlie Latta (Paul, Idaho), Karlie Banks (Laclede, Idaho), Elise Livingston (Millville, Utah), and Taliyah Logwood (Richmond, California).

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY
Multiple athletes share family connections to players who have competed at the collegiate level, with several of them also playing professionally. Freshman guard/forward Taliyah Logwood has two cousins in Brian Johnson and Raelon Singleton, both of whom played football at Utah, with Brian Johnson now holding the position of assistant head coach and passing game coordinator for the Washington Commanders in the NFL. Freshman guard Elise Livingston’s sibling, Erin, played volleyball for four years at BYU and later signed with the Las Vegas Thrill of the Pro Volleyball Federation. Freshman guard Ava Smith’s father, Matthew, participated in football and won an NAIA Division II national championship at Central Washington University. Freshman guard Denae Skelton’s brother, Kaeden, played basketball for the University of British Columbia in Okanagan. Freshman guard Carlie Latta’s sister, Aubrie Vale, played basketball at Westminster in 2019. Both senior guard/forward Samiana Suguturaga and sophomore forward Gracie Johnson have previously mentioned links to Utah State, while Johnson also has an older brother, Spencer, who played basketball at BYU.

DE LA GUYANE FRANÇAISE À LOGAN
Utah State senior forward Allyzee Verdan came to the Aggies from her home country of French Guiana, a small nation in South America adjacent to Brazil on the northern side. She is among just two natives from French Guiana in Division I women’s basketball, joining Duquesne’s Raymi Couëta.

Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2024-25 season are currently available. Supporters can acquire their tickets here or by reaching out to the USU Ticket Office at (435) 797-0305.

Fans can follow USU women’s basketball on Twitter, @USUWBasketball, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, and on Facebook, at /USUWBB. Aggie supporters can also follow Utah State Athletics on Twitter, @USUAthletics, on Instagram, @USUAthletics, and on Facebook at /USUAthletics.

– USU –