RedStorm's Skeens selected as RSC Female Athlete of the Year

Ella Skeens from the University of Rio Grande capped off her career with another big honor — 2022-23 River States Conference Female Athlete of the Year.

The senior on the RedStorm women's basketball team is identified as the top female athlete in the entire conference, which includes nine RSC championship sports for women. She was selected after a vote of the athletic directors in the conference.

A native of Chillicothe, Skeens had another spectacular season for Rio Grande, her second year playing for the RedStorm. She was named RSC Player of the Year for the second season in a row, and she added NAIA Women's Basketball First Team All-America to her accolades. It was the first time any Rio Grande women's player made the national first team.

"Ella just completed a phenomenal two-year career as undoubtedly the most talented, most athletic, purest scorer and toughest practice and game motor of any player I have been blessed to coach in my 31 years at Rio Grande," said Rio Grande head coach David Smalley. "Her heart and caring for her teammates was as integral as her play. She was a great teammate on and off the court and a tremendous role model to tons of local young female basketball players that aspire to be like her. It's nice to see the basketball award gods anoint her one more time."

Skeens led Rio Grande to a record of 30-4 and the RedStorm's first-ever trip to the round of 16 of the NAIA National Championship. She played in all 34 games, averaging 23.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.

Skeens also shot 52 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range and 83 percent from the foul line.

Skeens and Rio Grande won the RSC Championship for the second year in a row. She dominated the conference being named RSC Player of the Week six times during the season and NAIA National Player of the Week twice. She scored a school-record 50 points versus Asbury (Ky.) to win the first national weekly honor and put up 42 points just days later versus IU East.

Skeens came to Rio Grande after transferring from Dayton and Ball State. She is the sixth women's basketball player and the second one from Rio Grande, joining Brianna Thomas in 2015, to win the award.

"Ella dedicated her entire life for the love of the game and her grit and intensity of play, was extremely contagious to her teammates, coaches and RedStorm fans," Smalley added. "She even garnered the respect of athletes she competed against, coaches who attempted to find her weaknesses on the court and oppositional fans. Ella was a treat to watch play this great game of basketball and a coach's dream to coach."