The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women's Basketball Inks Gatorade Player Of The Year
4/23/2001 | Women's Basketball
April 23, 2001
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss women's basketball coach Ron Aldy announced Monday the signing of Elizabeth Cansdale, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Nevada, to the Lady Rebel program.
Cansdale, a 5-8 shooting guard from Boulder City, Nev., was selected as the 2001 Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year following an outstanding career at Bishop Gorman High School in which she finished as the all-time leading scorer with over 1,400 points.
"We are extremely excited to have Elizabeth joining our program," Aldy said. She brings a lot of different attributes to the table, as far as scoring and rebounding. Being named Gatorade Player of the Year speaks volumes for what she can do on the court. Elizabeth is a very unselfish player and the kind of person that will represent the Lady Rebels well on and off the court."
Coached by Sheryl Krmpotich, Cansdale led all Las Vegas area players in scoring this past year with 20.6 points per game. In addition, Cansdale averaged 8.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 5.1 steals per game. She shot 55 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free-throw line. Cansdale registered four thirty-point games and 19 20-point games.
Cansdale earned first team All-State honors from 1999-2001 and led her team to a runner-up finish in the 4A State Tournament in 1998 and 1999. She was selected as the All-Sunset Region MVP the past two years and also earned team MVP honors both years.
A candidate for the 2001 Phoenix/WBCA High School All-America Team, Cansdale was selected to numerous All-Tournament teams during her career and was entered into the NBA Basketball Hall of Fame for winning the Elk's National Free Throw Championships in 1996 hitting 23 out of 25.
Cansdale is a member of the Las Vegas Vipers Elite High School AAU travel team directed by Hadley James.
She becomes the third overall signee and the first of the spring period for Ole Miss. Cansdale joins Mississippi High School standout Amber Watts and junior college all-star Catesha Riley, who signed in the early period last November.
The Lady Rebels finished the 2000-01 season 17-13 and made their 16th postseason appearance with a bid to the WNIT.
