Despite losing McKenna Hofschild after the 2023-24 season, the gap was bridged as soon as Colorado State women’s basketball began exploring the portal. With leaders like Hannah Simental and Emma Ronsiek joining the roster, the team had a promising outlook for the season.
Although the Rams started the year with a streak of wins, coach Ryun Williams still wanted to see the team come into games with a growth mindset, playing each new quarter better than the last.
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For Simental, she made his wish come true.
“She’s an elite human,” Williams said. “She’s an elite basketball player; she’s an elite teammate; she’s an elite student. That’s how I would sum her up.”
In the first true match of the season against San Francisco, Simental scored four points for her team, only making one 3-pointer. In the Jan. 18 game against New Mexico, Simental was second in points for CSU, scoring 24 and making five 3-pointers.
Despite playing the sport since elementary school, those who watch Simental can still see her constant growth. Of the players who consistently shoot 3’s, she holds the highest percentage, currently at 40.7%. Simental has also scored the second-most 3’s for the team, tallying 35.
“She’ll be first when it’s all said and done, in all honesty,” Williams said. “The role we’re asking Hannah to play, she’s been a rock star in it. We look at her as … kind of a second starter. She’s been a big-time spark off the bench for us, but I think the key is she’s on the floor at the end of every game. That’s probably the most important thing.”
Before debuting in Moby Arena, Simental played her past four years of collegiate ball at Northern Colorado. Despite holding the same position of guard for her time at UNC and CSU, what was required of Simental by the two teams were different.
During her time at UNC, Simental maintained consistency in her shooting guard position, yet when she moved to CSU, she was initially put at the point guard position and then transferred back to her original spot. Now Simental has found herself shifting to wherever needed.
“At UNC, my role stayed the same,” Simental said. “Here it’s changed all throughout the year, so that’s been a little bit different, but I’ve taken it on. I’ve done what the team needs, and we’ve been putting together some good wins. So that’s what matters, and it’s been a lot of fun.”
To help guide herself with the change of demand, Simental has dedicated this season to focusing on her ball-handling skills. Although she wants to be remembered as the biggest cheerleader for her teammates, she is dedicated to continuing to learn new ways to play basketball despite having played it for years.
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Even though this is Simental’s first year with the Rams, Hannah Ronsiek is currently in her third season with CSU and has been able to see the impact Simental has made on the team.
“Obviously, Hannah is an amazing basketball player,” Hannah Ronsiek said. “She shoots it at a very high clip, and she brings a lot to our team on the basketball floor. But I think overall, just being a great teammate, she is … just a huge cheerleader and supporter for everybody.”
Before coming to CSU, she brought with her the experience of being a decorated player from her time at UNC, racking up 1,450 career points and being named to the All-Big Sky second team. Yet with all these achievements, she said the highlight of her career was beating Gonzaga.
In an overtime match, CSU barely snaked ahead and took the game by two points. Throughout the game, Simental recorded seven points for her team, making one 3-pointer.
“We’ve got really good leadership that has helped progress (growth),” Williams said. “And you know, Simental is leading the charge there. … I’m happy with the development of our team, and we still have a lot of room for growth.”
Despite having a large presence on the court, Williams still wants to see a few things from Simental for the remainder of the season: to shoot with conviction, have no hesitation and play as if her hair is on fire. Audience members can expect to see Simental grow into more of a leadership role on the court as her final collegiate season comes to an end.
For Simental, though, this may not be her last year playing basketball. The three Simental siblings grew up playing basketball, and Simental’s brother, David, is still playing. He is currently part of the Derby Trailblazers in the United Kingdom.
In Simental’s dream world, she would expand her career overseas and play close to her brother.
“(Basketball) has brought a lot of adversity, a lot of ups and downs,” Simental said. “But I think I’ll take that to life going forward for many years. You know, things change fast but just being able to trust the process and enjoy the journey, too.”
Reach Sophie Webb at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @sophgwebb.
