Shelley leaves her mark on Nebraska women’s basketball

Still, if you want a glimpse into who Nebraska women’s basketball player Jaz Shelley is as both a player and person listen to Oregon State coach Scott Rueck.

Rueck wanted Shelley to come play for him at Oregon State so badly that the first time he went to Australia was for a home visit with Shelley.

Shelley said no, and then Rueck had to coach against her while Shelley played for both Oregon and Nebraska. That meant watching game film and seeing all the plays that Shelley makes that she could have been playing for Oregon State.

But Rueck still spoke fondly of Shelley before Nebraska and Oregon State played in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last week.

“I like her. She’s a cool person,” Rueck said.

A lot of Nebraska players, coaches and fans feel the same way.

Nebraska’s season ended with a loss to Oregon State one week ago.

With most players who play for the Huskers, there’s something you can remember about them a few years later. With Shelley that will be easy — the amazing passes, the 37-point game, the six career 30-point games, the school record for 3-pointers in a game (nine against Illinois).

And then there’s off the court. All of those photos she took with young fans, and did so with a big smile. The time she spent helping with youth basketball camps in Lincoln.

She played her first two years at Oregon, but still got three at Nebraska and left her mark as a great passer and Nebraska’s only first-team all-conference player in a seven-year stretch.

She left the program better than when she arrived. Nebraska won 13 games the season before she came, and 23 this year.

Shelley could have left after last season. She missed Australia, and another year in Nebraska could have delayed what she wants to do with the Australian national team.

She came back and helped Nebraska have a great season. That included a win against No. 2 Iowa, when Shelley scored 23 including the winning 3-pointer. Also, a trip to the championship game of the Big Ten tournament and Nebraska’s first win in the NCAA Tournament in 10 years.

When Nebraska beat Michigan State to reach the Big Ten semifinals, Williams was thinking of Shelley.

“I know that this is the reason why Jaz Shelley came back is to be able to do things like this and advance in the postseason,” Williams said.

The next day Nebraska won again against Maryland, in a game that included more highlight plays for Shelley — her crossover dribble dropped her defender to the floor, and right after that Shelley splashed in a 3-pointer.

“Oh, she crossed over on her,” Matt Coatney said on the radio broadcast. “You betcha! What a sick crossover.”

Shelley had one of the best performances in program history while leading the Huskers to three wins in three days in Minneapolis and a spot in the Big Ten Tournament championship game.

She had program records for most points (82), 3-pointers (16) and assists (34) in a conference tournament.

Shelley downplays the sacrifices she made by using her fifth college season. Most of the things she wants to do will still be there.

“But I really just wanted this,” she said.

And it paid off, from the WNIT last year to a win in the NCAA Tournament.

“I’m very happy that we were able to achieve some of our goals,” she said. “I think this team was still good enough to go further. That’s the part that sucks the most is I feel like we could have kept going. But I’m just grateful that were able to get here and achieve one of our biggest goals.”

While answering a question about Shelley during a news conference after the final game, Nebraska center Alexis Markowski turned to Shelley and thanked her for using her fifth year.

“She’s just is a really good person and I’m going to miss her a lot, but she’s going to kill it,” Markowski said. “I’m excited to watch her on her next journey.”

There are several games over the past three seasons that Nebraska probably doesn’t win without Shelley – one game it was because of her scoring, and the next game her defense against the opponent’s best player.

Williams will also remember the impact Shelley had on so many people, including her two teenage daughters and other young people.

“My niece came to our game in Minneapolis,” Williams said. “She’s around good basketball players every day – her mom is a college coach. But she’s sitting in her Jaz Shelley T-shirt, and as soon as Jaz walked out of the locker room she stops and comes over and takes a picture.”

And maybe, Shelley had a small part in Nebraska getting five-star recruit Britt Prince – or another good recruit.

“We’ve talked about how she’s raised the bar and the expectations,” Williams said. “People want to come and do the things she’s been doing at Nebraska.”

Two of the three best seasons for assists in program history are from Shelley – 206 last season and 199 this year.

Despite playing just three seasons, Shelley ranks fifth in program history for career assists with 565.

Nebraska freshman Logan Nissley is amazed by Shelley’s passing.

“She just has an unreal mind for the game, and her ability to create for others is like no one I’ve ever seen,” Nissley said. “I would definitely compare her and (Iowa’s) Caitlin Clark in the assist category.”

Shelley had a gift for helping her teammates get points.

“I think that there’s maybe two players that I’ve coached in my coaching career that I feel like that they pass people open, and Jaz is one of those (another Australian player, Nicole Seekamp at South Dakota, was the other),” Williams said. “It comes from knowing your teammates and where they excel. Her ability to pass people into situations that are going to put them in successful situations is just really special.”

Shelley is the only player in program history to have two games with a triple-double (points, rebounds and assists). The other triple-doubles were by Kate Cain, Natalie Romeo and Lindsey Moore.

Shelley started her college career on the West Coast, but ended it as one of Nebraska’s best-ever players.

“It’s been an incredible experience,” she said. “I’m very grateful for the coaching staff and my teammates – just being my family. They put so much trust in me and belief in me, which I’m very grateful for. I’m just going to miss it all.”