Nelson is the current acting head coach of the Gardner-Webb women's basketball team. She joined the Runnin' Bulldogs after one season as a graduate assistant at the University of Wisconsin.
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Prior to her coaching career, Nelson spent her final season of collegiate eligibility playing for Wisconsin. In 2021-2022, she started all 29 games, averaging 8.3 points, 3.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. She led the Big Ten Conference and ranked fifth nationally in minutes played per game (38.3). Nelson also earned Wisconsin’s Big Ten Sportsmanship award.
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Prior to Wisconsin, Nelson played four seasons at Boston University where she started all 103 games and was named an All-Patriot League performer in each of her four seasons. She capped her career with a first-team all-conference selection in 2020-2021. In her final season with the Terriers, Nelson averaged a team-best 12.0 points per game, and career highs of 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. Nelson also garnered Patriot League Academic Honor Roll recognition three times. She finished her collegiate career with 1,362 career points scored.
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A native of Falmouth, Massachusetts, Nelson played high school ball at Bishop Feehan High School, where she graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,439 career points. She led Bishop Feehan to a state championship in her junior season.
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Nelson completed a master’s degree in sports leadership from Wisconsin in 2023. She graduated from Boston University with a business degree in 2021.
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