Beyond the buzzer: Olivia Nelson

Dribbling at the top of the key, graduate guard Olivia Nelson scanned the defense, feeling the weight of her journey from the quiet courts of Central Missouri to the bright lights of Idaho. She made a quick cut to the right, crossed over and drove toward the basket. 

She rose into the air with a burst of speed, the ball leaving her hand in a perfect arc. The net snapped cleanly as the ball fell through, and ICCU Arena erupted. For Nelson, it wasn’t just the points that mattered. It was the story that had brought her here and the undeniable feeling that, despite the odds, she had found her place on this stage.  

“It’s a surreal feeling every time I hear the band going, hear the fans that know your name. It’s awesome,” Nelson said. 

Nelson’s journey began on the courts of Kansas City, Missouri. Nelson, from the age of five years old, played basketball and fell in love with it while also trying other sports such as softball, soccer and cross country.  

Nelson, who eventually chose basketball as her sport of choice, attended Liberty High School and began to make a name for herself. Nelson’s hard work and time in the gym paid off, as she excelled and led the Lady Blue Jays to two District Championships and finished in fourth place in the State Tournament in 2017-18.  

Nelson was named a First Team All-Conference performer four straight years ago, won conference MVP as a senior and accomplished scoring 1,000 points. Nelson left Liberty looking for the next step in her journey.  

Her next stop was an hour down the road at Central Missouri University, where she played for years for the Jennies. During her four-year outstanding career for the Jennies, Nelson played almost 4,000 minutes, posted 1,573 points and was a key to the Jennies success during her time on the team.  

Nelson then decided to transfer to the University of Idaho for both academics and basketball. Even though she had to undergo a coaching change with Head Coach Carrie Eighmey’s unexpected departure, she remained committed to the Vandals.  

“I ended up having to transfer for my fifth year because they didn’t have my master’s (chemistry) program. If they did, I probably would have stayed,” Nelson said.  

“So, I entered the portal for my fifth year and then ended up finding Devon and Carrie Eighmey,” Nelson said. “They reached out, and I knew them from my old school because we played against each other and then committed here.”  

Eighmey was a part of the reason why Nelson wanted to come to the Vandals but departed a few weeks after recruiting Nelson. Assistant Coach Arthur Moreira was then promoted to head coach. 

Moreira’s efforts to continue Eighmey’s recruiting was also enough to get Nelson to stay the course and join the Vandals despite the change in head coach.  

“Idaho has a really good academic chemistry program that doesn’t get enough credit,” Nelson said. “Arthur and Drew [Muscatell] were on my visit, making it feel like home from the beginning. They reached out immediately after the coaching change happened and told me they still wanted me here, and they were super supportive.” 

Nelson has loved Moscow since she arrived in the summer. 

“I love the small-town feeling of Moscow,” Nelson said. Jen [Aadland] always jokes that our favorite place to go is the Breakfast Club. We go every Saturday, and it brings us all together.”  

On the court for the Vandals, Nelson’s journey wasn’t always smooth. Nelson hit some bumps in her first couple of games for the black and gold. With her transition from Division II to Division I, she had to face BYU and Washington State in her first two games, and she struggled to adjust. 

“One of the biggest adjustments coming from Division II to the Big Sky is that the teams are much larger and taller,” Nelson said.  

“The point guards are 5-foot-nine-inches or 5-foot-ten-inches, which is very different than my old school. Playing against the length is very different when you’re trying to pass the ball dribble around somebody or try to score,” Nelson said.  

Since her bumps in the road, Nelson has been the staple and heart of the Vandals. With her in control, the Vandals jumped out to a 16-7 (8-4) start to the season. Nelson has averaged 13.6 points, three rebounds and three assists a game, including getting her career high of 30 points in a game and having a streak of ten straight games of scoring double digits.  

Moreira has seen Nelson’s hard work and determination on the court since her first games.  

“When you come from the Division II level and have to compete against bigger, faster, stronger athletes, it takes a while to adjust,” Moreira said.  

“We’re seeing her getting more comfortable. I feel like it took her a little bit to adjust, but now you can see it,” Moreira said. “How she’s been playing is probably the best basketball she’s played in her entire career.” 

On the court, Nelson thrives, and off the court, it’s the same story. She continues to work towards her master’s degree while also building her relationships off the court.  

“Off the court, Olivia is always busy. Besides basketball, I’m constantly trying to get schoolwork done. I think school takes a big priority,” Nelson said. “Then I love hanging out with my friends whenever we have the opportunity. I love hanging out with the team and having the team come over to watch The Bachelor, play games and anything like that.”  

Nelson, who will graduate from UI in the summer, will look to either continue playing basketball overseas or get a job in Forensic Science and close her basketball chapter.  

With her five years nearing the end and the final buzzer of her Vandal career in sight, Nelson wears her uniform with the #1 with confidence and pride as she enters the ICCU Arena—a symbol of all that she has accomplished and what she still can.  

Behind every pass, every dribble, every shot and every roar of the crowd is the story of the little girl from Kansas City who once dreamed of playing at this level, who faced countless challenges along the way, but never gave up.  

Every cheer and every chant reminds her of the resilience and determination that brought her here. As the final chapter of her Vandal career approaches, she finds that the journey isn’t just about what she’s done. It’s about the legacy she leaves behind that will inspire others to dream as big as she once did.