The Big West is proud to boast its two conference nominees for the 2023 NCAA Woman of The Year. Both student-athletes celebrate accomplished careers across many academic and athletic achievements during their collegiate careers including the Big West Service and Leadership Award, GPAs over the 3.91-mark, leadership roles as campus and conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) representatives, all-conference awards, and more.
To qualify for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, eligible female-student athletes must be a woman of color and or an international-student athlete to be nominated by their respective institutions. The 619 total nominees across all three divisions were the most all-time. This pair of student-athletes were selected out of eight excellent nominees submitted by schools within the Big West. From there, the conference office collects all nominations and submits a final couple of names to the NCAA upon review. Of the 164 conference-level nominees, 62 competed in Division I, 39 in Division II, and 63 in Division III while all sporting an average GPA of 3.83. The selected nominees competed in a total of 20 sports, with 51 student-athletes classifying as dual-sport athletes.
The Big West conference nominees for 2023 NCAA Woman of the Year are:
- Taylor Thames, CSUN soccer
- Emma Van Rossum, Hawai'i water polo
The NCAA Woman of the Year program was established in 1991 and honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service, and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. In its 33rd year, nominees must have competed, earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport, and earned their undergraduate degree by Summer 2023.
 Taylor Thames |
"As a firm advocate of the demand for a greater understanding and consideration for the interconnectedness of diversity, equity, and tangible long-lasting change, at both the community and institutional levels of society, my experiences at my previous institution CSUN were driven by my commitment to advocating for student athlete welfare that takes into account the various nuances that contribute to our diverse student athlete population. My undergrad years were defined by two ground shaking events, COVID-19, and the Black Lives Matter Movement. I watched my fellow student athletes struggle with identity dismantling events and the fearful reality of a world without sport. At the beginning I waited for a voice to guide us through this time of uncertainty, eventually I got tired of waiting and decided to take action"
Thames earned the Big West Leadership Award last year for her efforts off the field of play. She served as a member of The Big West SAAC and Big West Undivided, while also leading the charge for CSUN's SAAC as its co-president. Thames tireless commitment to diversity and inclusion inspired her to become the secretary of the Black Student Advocacy Panel in conjunction with co-founding Matador United, a committee dedicated to advocating for diversity and equity on the campus of CSUN. Thames capped off her academic career by sporting a 3.91 GPA.
Athletically, Thames triumphed in between the pipes for CSUN this past season, posting a 3.25 GAA in 720 total minutes while finishing eighth in the Big West in saves. She also set a career and school record for saves in a game (16) against UCLA. During her six starts in goal, Thames registered three shutout victories. As a dual sport athlete, Thames was also a member of the women's track & field team where she competed in three outdoor seasons participating in the 100m and 200m events.
In the community, Thames spent time assisting the North Hills Community Parks Soccer League while also serving as an event organizer for the U.S Women's National Team. Thames also aided CSUN women's soccer camps as a volunteer camp counselor.
 Emma van Rossum |
"The most important lesson I've learned is that the way you view things matters, and your mindset matters. Academically, when I struggled with an assignment, I had two choices: I could be negative about it and give up, which sometimes felt like the easier choice, or I could think about it differently and work through it. I learned to view these situations as a learning opportunity and looked for positives. This gradual change in my mindset shaped me into a leader I never thought I could be. The Covid season was the year that really changed me. We had a smaller team that year and were not allowed to have mandatory practices until the spring. If we wanted to succeed, we needed someone to step up and rally the team. Instead of sulking about the current situation, I chose to approach it from a different angle. I looked for opportunity."
van Rossum was named the female recipient of the Jack Bonham Award, Hawai'i's highest student-athlete honor after accumulating a 3.93 GPA and earning her undergraduate degree in computer sciences and phycology. She collected more academic awards at Hawai'i including the Top Scholar-Athlete, Wahine Water Polo, UH Manoa Straight A Luncheon Honoree, Manoa Student-Athlete Annual Honor Roll, Gold Honors, UH Manoa Scholar-Athlete and placed on the UH Manoa Athletic Director's Honor Roll list in Fall 2022 and Spring 2023.
Van Rossum was also appointed the Rainbow Wahine team leader and captain where Van Rossum spent time collaborating with Title IX Wahine on the Rise: Field Day, Title IX Wahine on the Rise: The Celebration as an ambassador for water polo. More of her volunteering experiences include time with Access Surf and Junior Bows (2018, 2019).
In the pool of play, van Rossum earned All-Big West second-team distinctions twice (2021, 2023) and claimed Big West Championship MVP in 2021 during the team's conference triumph. Hawai'i advanced to the Big West Championship title match all four years she was on the squad. She was also an AWPCA honorable mention All-American. Before her final season, van Rossum was named to the Cutino Award watchlist, presented to the nation's top player, and one of 20 national players placed on USA Water Polo, The Olympic Club, and the Assocation of Collegiate Water Polo (ACWPC).