ELLENSBURG — Central Washington University junior women's basketball forward Capri Sims was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week after multiple double-digit performances during the winter break games.  

“Capri's performances last week were critical in our ability to get three wins, especially starting off against Cal State LA after our first loss last Saturday,” CWU Head Women's Basketball Coach Randi Richardson said.   

This is Sims' third-career player of the week, first this season, and now joins Asher Cai as a Wildcat to earn the distinction this season.  

According to a statement by the GNAC, Sims led the Wildcats to three wins last week, putting together three all-around strong performances to help CWU improve to 10-1 on the campaign. Richardson highlighted her effort on the court, especially the difference she made on offense.   

“She came out with an effort and intent to win, and you saw that specifically on the glass with seven offensive rebounds against Cal State San Marcos,” Richardson said. “She was extremely efficient offensively, which is phenomenal for her position, especially with the amount of shots we are asking her to take. To have zero turnovers with how much she handles the ball shows that she is playing at an elite level. It is fun to see how much she has developed in terms of her offense, defense and mentality.”

First at Cal State LA, Sims posted 17 points, four rebounds, four assists. She finished the game going 8-16 from the floor, 0-4 from three, and 1-2 at the free-throw line. Next at Cal State San Marcos, she tallied 13 points to pair with 15 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.   

She added three assists and a block. She finished the game shooting 5-8 from the floor and a perfect 3-3 at the free-throw line. Finally, in the 'Cats home-opener against Walla Walla, she added 20 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals while going 9-10 from the floor and 2-3 from the free-throw line. She did all of that without committing a turnover in any of the three games.  

Sims has become a force this season, currently averaging 15.5 points per game to pair with 9.3 boards a contest. She has dished out 32 assists, made six blocks, and grabbed 13 steals. She has been incredibly efficient from the floor, shooting at a 65% clip and is averaging 66.7% at the charity stripe.  

Sims and the 'Cats will take a breather to enjoy the holiday season before returning on New Year's Day up in Alaska. They first see the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks (0-10, 0-2 GNAC) at 6:15 p.m. inside the Alaska Airlines Gymnasium. They wrap up their time up north with a visit to the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves (8-3, 0-2 GNAC) on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 6:15 p.m. inside the Alaska Airlines Center.