Britney Thomas, junior psychology major and forward, has been named three-time Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week for California Baptist University’s women’s basketball team.
Thomas transferred from Mt. San Jacinto College and joined the women’s basketball team this season. At Mt. San Jacinto College, she was named the South Region Most Valu- able Player and twice voted Pa- cific Coast Athletic Conference North Division Player of the Year honor.
Jarrod Olson, women’s basketball head coach, was not surprised the second or third time Thomas was named WAC Player of the week.
“We’ve been looking at her for a long time. We tried to re- cruit her out of high school as well,” Olson said. “She’s had a lot of success and we’re not sur- prised she’s doing so well for us now.”
“It’s nice to see her perform well and be recognized. She is a really good player and she is very valuable to our team and I think it’s good to see other people recognize that, but we expect her to do well.”
Olson described Thomas as an upbeat and positive player.
Thomas said she was excited when she was first announced as player of the week, and she was surprised when she was named player of the week for the second time.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Thomas said. “Then when I got it again I was shocked, because I did not think that I could get it again. I was really grateful.”
Many athletes have some sort of pregame ritual. Thomas takes the time to get rest before game days.
“I try to get a nap in,” Thom- as said. “Then when I wake up I like to listen to songs that get me pumped up.”
After being named three-time player of the week, Thomas’ goals for the season do not end there. She is focused on the goals the team has set for the rest of the season and plans to continue playing basketball after college.
“As a team we have goals: win every home game, win the fourth quarter, have one or two wins on the road and win the WAC,” Thomas said. “We are a great team and, when we figure that, we could be unstoppable. After college I would love to keep playing basketball.”
So far in the season, Thomas is averaging 16 points per game, a substantial contribution to CBU women’s basketball this season.
The Lancers continue Western Athletic Conference play with an away matchup on Saturday, Feb. 9, against the University of Missouri, Kansas City, at noon.
