Maddie Nolan screamed, threw her hands behind her back and stomped on the court as her Colorado teammates rushed to join the celebration on Sunday.
Known for her 3-point shooting, Nolan’s physical three-point play early in the fourth quarter was a pivotal moment in the Buffaloes’ 71-59 win against No. 8 Stanford.
“That was fun,” she said after the win, which helped lift the Buffs from No. 5 to No. 3 in this week’s Associated Press Top 25. “I think everyone saw my celebration. I’m very much an energy person. So when big plays happen I like to celebrate, whether itap me or other people, so it was nice to get that on the board for sure.”
That play, with 7 minutes, 36 seconds left in the game, gave CU a 14-point lead. But it was just one of many plays Nolan made that day and throughout the season for the Buffs.
A graduate transfer from Michigan, where she played four seasons, Nolan had her best all-around game of the season against the Cardinal, with 12 points, five rebounds and two assists. She was 3-of-5 on 3-pointers.
“My mom and I were just talking, and she grew up watching Stanford,” Nolan said. “She said she wanted to be on their team; (they are) consistently in the Final Four, and I had never played against them, obviously. So to come out today, and to get that win as a team, it was a team effort. I was looking up at the points at the end, and I was like, wow, that is a really hard team to beat when you have four or five, six people that can score in double figures on any night.”
CU has that, too, which is why Nolan chose to spend her final season of college basketball in Boulder.
A full-time starter who averaged 32.7 minutes and a career-best 9.1 points last year for the Wolverines, Nolan has taken on a different role with the Buffs.
Joining a veteran team that reached the Sweet 16 last year, Nolan came off the bench the first 10 games, but has now made six consecutive starts. She’s averaging 18.5 minutes and 5.8 points while hitting a career-best 41.3% of her 3-pointers.
The numbers aren’t the same as they were at Michigan, but thatap of no concern to Nolan.
“I don’t give a crap about that stuff if I’m being honest,” she said. “Itap more so just like, ‘Am I making a positive impact on people and on the game?’”
At times early in the season, Nolan’s impact was minimal, but she’s turning it on lately, with the Stanford game being the highlight. She’s made a significant impact on each of the last four wins for the Buffs, who have won nine in a row overall.
“It definitely was a challenge at first to come into a new system,” she said. “They’ve played together for a long time and I think it took me a little bit and now I’m starting to feel more confident and I think we can see that the last couple games. Itap been nice.
“That feeling (of making an impact) I think has been even more so recently. Just like figuring out where I fit in.”
Nolan admitted it took a couple of starts to adjust to that role, but said, “I think I’m getting into a flow with it” as she understands the expectations of head coach JR Payne, associate head coach Toriano Towns and the rest of the staff.
Nolan certainly fits in, because she shares CU’s team-first mentality and goal of winning a national title.
Nolan enjoyed plenty of success at Michigan, including three straight NCAA Tournament appearances (a first in Wolverines history), the only two Sweet 16 appearances in Michigan history and an Elite Eight appearance in 2022.
Although itap been an adjustment coming to Boulder, Nolan is thrilled with her decision and proved on Sunday how valuable she can be as the Buffs strive for the same level of success – if not more – that Nolan had at Michigan.
“Oh my gosh, itap been amazing,” she said. “My parents and I talk about it all the time how grateful I am for JR and for T and (assistant Alex Earl) and all them to recruit me and to allow me to play here and to start now. I’m just so grateful and couldn’t really ask for a better fifth year so far.”
