By Nicolas Esparza, February 17, 2026
Sydney Nelson led the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team to two wins and scored a total of 46 points, earning her a second California Collegiate Athletic Association Player of the Week this season.
In her first game against Cal State East Bay Jan. 29, Nelson nearly recorded a double-double with 25 points and seven rebounds, marking one assist on the night. Broncos won 82-67. She followed this with 21 points, six rebounds, two assists, two blocks and five steals, leading to a 76-57 victory, Jan. 31 against San Francisco State.
Nelson, a 6-foot forward, was known for her defensive skills during her underclassman years. Now in her junior year, Nelson said she has embraced her role as a leader on this team, working daily to improve her game.
“I definitely had a different mindset coming into this season,” Nelson said. “… Be more aggressive all around but also making smarter decisions on offense, smarter passes, better shot taking, better accuracy, getting extra shots, really practicing and honing in on those skills.”
Nelson currently leads the CCAA in scoring, averaging 19 points per game, and leads the league in field goal percentage, shooting more than 51%. CPP also ranks first in defense in the CCAA standings.
Nelson recorded her first Player of the Week of the season for the week of Dec. 28 to Jan. 3 when she scored a season-high 31 points against San Francisco State and 22 points against East Bay, gaining two wins on the road.
“Sydney is an all-around player, even when we are having our rough times and our moments where we’re doing poorly,” junior forward Mydrea Moore said. “She always just keeps the team encouraged and going. She gets defensive stops, and our team relies on our transition a lot, so she’s always quick to be the first one down the court. We’re always looking for her, especially when we can’t get our shots to fall in.”
Since her arrival at CPP, Nelson has been recognized for her performance. She earned the 2024 CCAA Freshman of the Year Award and received the CPP Female Freshman of the Year Award.
In her sophomore year, Nelson was named All-CCAA First Team and led the CCAA with a 57% field goal percentage. She also led the team in points, steals and free-throw percentage, according to Bronco Athletics.
Although she received high honors and dominated the CCAA as an underclassman, Nelson said her transition from high school to college wasn’t easy.
“My freshman year was hard, and being able to confide in my teammates and really opening up and stepping out of my comfort zone, it made me a lot more comfortable on the court knowing that I had all of their support,” Nelson said.“Also, putting in the extra work, and some days can get really stressful, but I don’t ever back down from that. I don’t ever run away and hide. I have to take it head-on. And I think that goes for most college athletes.”
Nelson has not only been awarded for her accomplishments on the court, but for her academics as well.
Nelson was also recognized for her academic record, as a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree, and she was on the CCAA Winter Academic Honor Roll and received a CCAA All-Academic award, according to Bronco Athletics.
“Leadership is a lot of consistency, and I think everything she does in the classroom and on the court is consistent,” head coach Danelle Bishop said. “Just being a good teammate and listening to her teammates, challenging them, mentoring them, coaching them out on the court has just been huge.”
Nelson said her family is what motivates her and helped her to improve her game in her early years, coming from what she describes as a basketball family.
“I was around 4 or 5years old, and in a small league where my dad was coaching me and my siblings, and that was definitely the turning point, even so young,” Nelson said.
Now, her parents cheer her on from the stands, always loud and excited, and continually making the effort to go on road trips for away games.
Feature image courtesy of the CPP Athletics
