Courtesy of Colorado State Athletics –
FORT COLLINS – Colorado State’s Emma Ronsiek was awarded All-America Honorable Mention by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) after a sensational season with the Rams, the organization announced. Additionally, head coach Ryun Williams was named as a finalist for the organization’s NCAA Division I Coach of the Year Award.
Ronsiek was the only player in the Mountain West to be recognized by the WBCA, and one of just eight players outside of the five major college basketball conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, SEC). The Creighton transfer had a career season while donning the Green and Gold, averaging career-highs in scoring (17.7) and rebounding (6.0), while averaging 2.6 assists. Ronsiek is one of just 15 players in MW history to record such averages, and the first Ram since Katie Cronin in 1997-98.
Against DI opponents, Ronsiek was one of just 14 players in the nation this season to average at least 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, joining All-America first teamers JuJu Watkins (Southern California) and Lauren Betts (UCLA). Named the MW Newcomer of the Year and to the All-MW Team – the third first-team all-conference honor in her career – Ronsiek led the Rams in total points, rebounds and assists while playing the seventh-most minutes per game of any player in the country (37.14).
The 2024-25 season was a sensational end to a prolific five-year career for Ronsiek, one which saw her become one of just three active players to notch 2,000 career points, 775 rebounds and 350 assists, and one of 40 to do so in the 21st century. Others on the list include women’s college basketball legends Caitlin Clark (Iowa), Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon), Breanna Stewart (UConn), Mya Moore (UConn) and Cheryl Miller (Southern California).
Williams was named one of 15 finalists for the WBCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year award, which was awarded to UCLA’s Cori Close. Other finalists included UConn’s Geno Auriemma, Texas’ Vic Schaefer and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley.
After losing seven letterwinners from the 2023-24 squad, including all-American guard McKenna Hofschild, Williams reloaded the Ram roster by recruiting a pair of experienced transfers in the two-time All-Big East first teamer Ronsiek and Northern Colorado product Hannah Simental, in addition to landing a pair of star freshmen guards in Kloe Froebe and Brooke Carlson who were each named to the MW’s All-Freshman Team. Williams deployed 13 unique starting lineups throughout the course of the season, putting together the best matchups for their opponents on a nightly basis.
In his 13th season with the program, Williams guided the Rams to 22 victories which were the most since the 2016-17 campaign. It marked the fourth-straight 20-win season for the Green and Gold and the ninth such season overall under Williams. Throughout the course of the season, Williams collected his 250th win as the head coach of the Rams and moved himself into second on the MW’s all-time conference wins list.
The Rams finished with an 8-2 mark in road games which gave them their first winning season on the road since 2020-21, and did not lose back-to-back games at any point throughout the 2024-25 campaign. CSU collected several marquee wins over the course of the season, including a triumph over Georgia – the program’s first win over an SEC program since 1998 – and victories over future Pac-12 opponents Gonzaga and Oregon State.
Under Williams, Colorado State has been one of the most disciplined teams in the country as they led the nation in turnovers per game for an impressive fourth-consecutive season (8.7 in 2024-25). The Rams held opponents to just 37.0% shooting from the floor (30th nationally) and committed just 13.6 fouls per game which ranked in the top 20 in the country.
