Last Saturday Cal Baptist beat Abilene Christian 74-58 in the WAC tourney women’s title game to earn an automatic bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Lancers made the NCAA tourney in 2024, lost 19 games in 2025, and are now heading back to the NCAA tourney for the 2nd time in 3 years. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Cal Baptist SO SG Shawnee Nordstrom about being a great FT shooter and making the NCAA tourney.
You were born/raised in Hamilton, New Zealand: how big is basketball in your home country? Basketball in New Zealand has become a lot bigger over the years. What is really cool is that a lot of kids there (including most of my cousins) play multiple sports like netball/basketball/rugby/etc.
You won 3 straight state titles at Lone Peak High School: did it reach a point where the fans expected you to win every time that you stepped onto the court? I think there was defenitely that kind of standard, but we had the best high school coach in Nancy Warner. She taught us values both on and off the court such as the importance of humility and hard work. I think that was the recipe that made Lone Peak elite.
What made you choose Cal Baptist? I really wanted to play a lot and I loved the playing style her. I also liked that there were a lot of international players so I could kind of play the style I had in New Zealand.
You play for Coach Jarrod Olson: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He is never flaky with his points and will tell you straight up how things are going to go, whether that is on or off court. He has been doing this for a lot of years and the points he makes always add up. He told me a quote at the start of my sophomore year that I still hold close to me during every game I play: “It is better to try and fail than fail to try.”
You led the team with 82.4 FT% as a freshman: what is the secret to making FTs? There is no secret: it is just about telling yourself that you are going to make the shot while also remaining calm.
You have teammates from Germany/Portugal/Spain/Sweden: how has the team been able to build chemistry with a roster of players from around the world? That is what has made it easier for us as a team. I feel like when you are an international player you are able to bring a team mindset, a high basketball IQ, and something that America has never really seen. I enjoy having teammates from all around the world: it is really fun both on and off the court.
Last Saturday in the WAC tourney title game you scored 12 PTS in a win over Abilene Christian: what did it mean to you to win a title, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterward? It meant so much and was so rewarding because we have worked so hard. It was awesome that I got to contribute on offense and defense and help us get the win. In the locker room it was all good vibes…but I had to quickly rush out right after the celebration to attend my friend’s wedding in Utah!
You lost 19 games last year: how was your team able to improve so much this year? I think it was because we had a lot of good players this year that were not just talented but also hard-working and bought into the team and its values. Summer conditioning was super-tough, but I saw the vision and attitude that my teammates had and I was like, “This is going to be a very fun year: I want these kind of girls on my team.” We have winners on our team: girls who just really wanted to win and do their jobs with 100% effort.
You father Kalem played rugby at byu and played junior tall blacks, your aunt Noni played basketball at UTEP, and you have multiple uncles who also played pro rugby: who is the best athlete in the family? I like to say that I am, but I have to go with all of them. People say I play a lot like my aunty and my dad. My dad, aunty, and uncles have all been great roles models as athletes, but they are even better people. They support me and I love just being around them. They look like they are all about sports, but they are all about just chilling, hanging out, having long chats, playing the guitar, and singing. I have brought some of their traits along with me while I am at college.
How do you feel about being a #16 seed, and what is the game plan for facing #1 seed UCLA this Saturday? I am not too worried about being a #16 seed. We just want to play with some fight, have some fun, and see what happens. I am looking forward to playing against UCLA PG Charlisse Leger-Walker. She has always been one of my idols and our families are really tight. Her mum Leanne coached me for about 8 years, I did a few training sessions with Charlisse when I was younger, and I played with her little sister. I am grateful to their family for everything I have learned: it has been advantageous since I 1st moved to Utah, and even in college I have carried a lot of those lessons with me, so it should be fun.
