Two of CWU women’s basketball players recently passed major landmarks in their career statistics. Redshirt senior forward Kassidy Malcolm has accumulated 1000 points and 500 rebounds as a Wildcat and is only the sixth women’s basketball player in CWU’s history to do so. Malcolm’s teammate, redshirt junior center Samantha Bowman, has also surpassed the 500-rebound-mark alongside Malcolm.

The players have also each received Greater Northwest Athletic Conference’s (GNAC) player of the week awards for the past two weeks, and while they expressed that the recognition is nice, they both were quick to highlight the role of coaches and teammates in their individual accolades.

“Huge shout to the coaches and our teammates because it really is impossible to do it without them,” Bowman said.

According to Malcolm and Bowman, their teammates are far more than supplemental to their own individual efforts; they are a major source of motivation during games.

In a recent game, Malcolm scored a career high 30 points. Malcolm said her mentality going into the game was that, “I knew I just wanted to go out there and give everything I had and be the best I could be for my team and my coaches,” Malcolm said.

Bowman similarly said a lot of her motivation comes from the team around her.

Bowman currently leads all of the NCAA Division II players in rebounds per game with 16, but said her dominance in rebounding has less to do with what she can achieve for herself and more to do with what she can achieve for her team.

“When it comes to rebounding, I just want to work hard for my teammates and I want to give them my all,” Bowman said.

According to CWU women’s basketball head coach Randi Richardson-Thornley, the selfless nature of both players is part of what is making them successful right now. Richardson-Thornley said Malcolm and Bowman have invested in themselves, their teammates and the CWU women’s basketball program as a whole, which has led them to where they are now.

“They haven’t made it about them and they’ve made it about the team, and they’ve made it about the process and they’re reaping the rewards now,” Richardson-Thornley said.

Richardson Thornley also noted the growth that Malcolm’s and Bowman’s dedication has allowed. According to Richardson-Thornley, the players are largely on their own during the summer months away from school but in years past, Malcolm and Bowman have come back as improved players.

Looking at the way each player has grown, Richardson-Thornley said Malcolm’s defensive play has improved due to an increased attention to detail in her game. On the offensive side of the ball, Richardson-Thornley noted Malcolm developed a versatility which allows her to score in a variety of ways.

Richardson-Thornley said while rebounding has always been a strong part of Bowman’s game, she has established versatility in the ways she can score offensively in addition to stepping into a leadership role on the team.

“I think Sam also has really developed into an outstanding leader too,” Richardson-Thornley said. “Freshman year she didn’t come in and say too much and just kinda did her thing, and now she’s an extreme competitor and isn’t afraid to hold her teammates to that same accountability.”

Bowman aims to grow more in her leadership role looking toward her senior season next year. For the rest of this season, Bowman again emphasized her desire to support and work hard for her teammates, in particular for seniors on the team like Malcolm.

“Every single day I want to show them that I have their backs and that they can count on ‘me,’” Bowman said. ‘‘Because I know I’ve counted on Kass ever since I’ve played with her, and I’m going to miss her a lot so I want to give her my all and make sure that there’s no regrets.”