By Chris Lim, April 15, 2025
When Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball forward Sydney Nelson was 4 years old, she played her first basketball game with her siblings while being coached by her father.
The moment she picked up the basketball and finished the game, Nelson knew that her family’s passion for basketball carried on to her.
Coming from a family who loved and played basketball, there was no question she would pick up the sport, too.
Her dad, mom and grandparents were all former basketball players who held the same passion.
Throughout her years in high school, Nelson said she worked countless hours to hone her craft, resulting in her becoming a top-50 freshman in California.
While entering her first year at Cal Poly Pomona, Nelson found it hard to balance school and basketball.
Going from class to practice held a barrier for Nelson, as finding time to study and also working on her game was hard for her.
She spent hours making sure that her basketball skills were always on top, but never found the right amount of time to do both schoolwork and practice at the same time.
“The transition from high school to college was a struggle, and it was hard adjusting to,” Nelson said. “Things became more demanding with basketball, and mixing that with school held me back.”
With all the weight on her shoulders, Nelson wasn’t going to stop herself from improving her game.
“I try my best to balance basketball and school, but when it comes to basketball, I always want to improve myself,” Nelson said.
In her first year, Nelson showcased her dominance on the court, averaging 15 points per game and totaling 44 steals and 25 blocks.
Heading into her second season, she set her eyes on one goal, and that was prove that the Broncos were one of the top teams.
Nelson dominated this season, becoming a two-way threat on the court with averages of 17 points per game while recording 58 steals and 12 blocks.
Nelson was named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week for Feb. 3-9 due in part to her performance against Cal State Los Angeles, in which she dropped a career-high 34 points.
The Broncos finished the 2024-25season with a 25-6 overall record, ending as the No. 2 seed in the CCAA, which secured them spots in both the CCAA and NCAA tournaments.
During the Broncos’ CCAA Tournament run, Nelson became a take-charge player, scoring 29 points in the semifinals against Chico State Mar. 7 and 25 points against Cal State Dominguez Hills Mar. 8.
In the NCAA Division II regional quarterfinals, the Broncos fell short against Chico State, losing in overtime 57-52.
Despite the Broncos’ season ending, CPP women’s basketball head coach Danelle Bishop said she sees a bright future ahead, especially when it comes to watching Nelson play on the court.
“As a sophomore, she’s gotten better every single year, and she truly is unstoppable,” Bishop said. “The crazy part is that Nelson hasn’t reached her full potential yet. She’s a stellar defender, she can rebound and her mid-range is deadly. Nelson is such an offensive and defensive threat on the court. She is like a jack of all trades.”
Seeing her dominance as a two-way player in only her second year, Broncos guard Breanne Ha said Nelson will become an all-time player heading into the next season.
“She’s going to be an All-American one day, and she’s going to be at the top of the ranks, not only for our division, but for CPP as a whole,” Ha said.
As dominant as she is in basketball, Nelson said she enjoys other hobbies. Some of her favorite things to do in her off time include watching movies with friends and reading books. She also spends valuable time with her family on the weekends, playing with them basketball and other games.
Heading into the next season, Nelson said she wants to solidify not only her name as one of the top players in the region, but also cement CPP as a top team in the region.
Nelson said she doesn’t just want to work on herself, but she also wants to work as a leader for the team.
“In the beginning of the season, we were ranked lower than what was expected,” Nelson said. “Seeing how much progress we made this season, I want to make a statement for the team. I want to prove everyone wrong, and I want others to respect who we are.”
Feature image courtesy of CPP Athletics
