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Heather Ezell

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Heather Ezell
Ezell in 2017.
Wyoming Cowgirls
PositionHead Coach
LeagueMountain West Conference
Personal information
Born (1987-02-15) February 15, 1987 (age 37)
Springfield, Missouri
NationalityAmerican
Listed height177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Career information
High schoolKickapoo
(Springfield, Missouri)
CollegeIowa State (2005–2009)
WNBA draft2009: undrafted
Playing career2009–2010
PositionGuard
Number10
Coaching career2010–present
Career history
As player:
2009–2010Haukar
As coach:
2010–2011Fairfield (assistant)
2011–2015Southeast Missouri State (assistant)
2015–2019Wyoming (assistant)
2019–2022Wyoming (associate HC)
2022–presentWyoming
Career highlights and awards
As player:
Career Úrvalsdeild kvenna statistics
Points597 (29.9 ppg)
Rebounds213 (10.7 rpg)
Assist597 (5.8 apg)

Heather Dawn Ezell (born February 15, 1987) is an American basketball coach and former player. She played college basketball for the Iowa State Cyclones[1] and later professionally for Haukar in Iceland where she won multiple awards and accolades.

Early life and college career

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Born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, Ezell graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield in 2005. Despite missing most of her junior season with a knee injury, Ezell scored 1,074 points during her high school basketball career and helped Kickapoo win two state championships. As a senior in 2005, Ezell was the Missouri girls' basketball player of the year and a McDonald's High School All-American nominee.[2]

At Iowa State University, Ezell played at guard for Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball from 2005 to 2009. She finished her career tied for the Cyclones' career record with 287 made three-point field goals and finished 10th in program history with 1,339 points. In her senior season, Ezell earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors. Ezell also earned a spot on the 2008 Big 12 All-Tournament Team and helped the Cyclones to three NCAA appearances including the Elite Eight in 2009.[2] Ezell graduated from Iowa State in 2009 as a double major in management and marketing.[2]

Iowa State statistics

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Source:[2]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
Year Team GP Points FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2005–06 Iowa State 31 309 34.1% 32.2% 79.4% 3.6 3.4 1.6 0.1 10.0
2006–07 Iowa State 35 263 37.6% 32.1% 76.1% 3.2 2.3 1.2 0.1 7.5
2007–08 Iowa State 34 357 35.8% 33.6% 71.4% 3.1 3.1 1.4 0.3 10.5
2008–09 Iowa State 35 410 36.6% 35.3% 80.4% 3.3 3.5 1.8 0.1 11.7
Career 135 1339 36.0% 33.5% 77.1% 3.3 3.1 1.5 0.2 9.9

Professional career

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After graduating, Ezell signed with reigning Icelandic champions Haukar prior to the 2009–2010 Úrvalsdeild season.[3][4] In her first game with the team, she posted a quadruple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals in a victory against Njarðvík in the Icelandic Company Cup.[5] In December 2009, she was selected to the Icelandic All-Star game[6] where she was named MVP after posting 29 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in her team's victory.[7] In January 2010, she was named as one of the five best players of the first half of the season.[8][9] On 9 January 2010, Ezell again achieved a quadruple-double when she posted 25 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists and 10 steals in a victory against Valur.[10][11] Four days later, she scored a season high 40 points while also contributing 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a victory against Njarðvík.[12]

On 17 January, she helped Haukar to the semi-finals of the Icelandic Cup after posting 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a victory against Snæfell.[13] On 31 January, she led Haukar to the Cup finals after posting 16 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in a victory against Njarðvík in the semi-finals.[14] In the Cup Finals, Haukar faced Keflavík, led by former University of Iowa rival Kristi Smith[15] In the game, Haukar came out victorious with Ezell posting the first triple-double in the Cup finals history with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.[16]

In the Úrvalsdeild, Ezell led all players in scoring during the regular season, averaging 29.9 points per game[17] and was named the best player of the second half of the season.[18] On 8 March, she led Haukar to the Úrvalsdeild semi-finals after scoring 19 points in the series clinching game against Grindavík in the first round of the playoffs.[19] In the semi-finals, Haukar where swept by eventual champions KR.[20] After the season, Ezell was named as the Úrvalsdeild Foreign Player of the Year.[21]

The following season, Ezell retired from playing basketball and went into coaching.[22]

Coaching career

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On March 25, 2022, Ezell was named as the head coach of University of Wyoming women's basketball team.[23]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Wyoming Cowgirls (Mountain West Conference) (2022–present)
2022–23 Wyoming 23–11 13–5 2nd WNIT Second Round
2023–24 Wyoming 18–15 11–7 3rd WNIT Great 8
Wyoming: 41–26 (.612) 24–12 (.667)
Total: 41–26 (.612)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

National team career

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Ezell played for the United States national team at the 2006 William Jones Cup where she averaged 8.7 points and two assists per game.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Travis J. Cordes (11 December 2008). "Senior guard Heather Ezell becomes 19th Cyclone to reach 1,000 career points". Iowa State Daily. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Heather Ezell – Women's Basketball". cyclones.com. Iowa State. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  3. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (7 September 2009). "Ezell til Hauka: Þarf örugglega ekki að læra 200 kerfi eins og hjá Iowa State". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  4. ^ Sigurður Elvar Þórólfsson (17 November 2009). "Miklar breytingar hjá meistaraliði Hauka". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  5. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (25 September 2009). "Frábær frumraun". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). p. 46. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  6. ^ Henry Birgir Gunnarsson (14 December 2009). "Vel heppnaður Stjörnuleiksdagur". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). p. 34. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Ezell og Dabney voru best". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 14 December 2009. p. 8. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Þurfum að halda áfram á sömu braut". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 8 January 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  9. ^ Sigurður Elvar Þórólfsson (8 January 2010). "Hef ekki náð að villast". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 4. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Er Heather Ezell að senda valnefndinni skilaboð?". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 14 January 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  11. ^ Skúli Unnar Sveinsson (11 January 2010). "Sigurganga KR-inga heldur áfram". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 3. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Ezell fór á kostum". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 14 January 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Þreföld tvenna". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 18 January 2010. p. 8. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Haukar í Höllina í fjórða sinn á sex árum". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 1 February 2010. p. 27. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  15. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (20 February 2010). "Góðar vinkonur utan vallar". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). p. 60. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  16. ^ "Heather fyrst til að ná þrennu í bikarúrslitaleik". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 22 February 2010. p. 20. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  17. ^ "Birna best en tvíburarnir skora jafn mikið". Víkurfréttir (in Icelandic). 4 March 2010. p. 23.
  18. ^ Kristján Jónsson (12 March 2010). "Heather Ezell í sérflokki". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). pp. 2–3. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  19. ^ Skúli Unnar Sveinsson (9 March 2010). "Haukarnir fóru bakdyramegin í úrslitin". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 4. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  20. ^ Stefán Stefánsson (20 March 2010). "Skotfælni varð Hauku að falli". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 2. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  21. ^ "Gullið tímabil hjá bæði Hlyn og Signýju". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 3 May 2010. p. 22. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  22. ^ Kristján Jónsson (20 November 2010). "Þetta er hörkupúl". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 4. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Heather Ezell Named New Cowgirl Basketball Head Coach". gowyo.com. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
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