Kapaun’s Ella Anciaux impresses in her Wichita State basketball debut at Shocker Madness
Wichita State women’s basketball coach Keitha Adams joked after Shocker Madness on Tuesday evening that attendance will go up this season based solely on the family of Wichita native Ella Anciaux packing rows at Koch Arena.
More than a dozen family and friends of Anciaux, a 6-foot-4 true freshman center from Kapaun Mount Carmel, were in attendance and plenty to cheer for during the team’s 10-minute scrimmage. Anciaux was the only player in the scrimmage to score more than one basket, as she led the yellow team to a 9-7 win with seven points.
“It’s so special to be able to be here and to have all of my friends and family there supporting me,” Anciaux said. “I got to see them before and after the game. It’s just a really special experience.”
As for the standout performance, Anciaux said that came as a surprise.
“Honestly, no, I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Anciaux said. “I was happy with how my team played and how I played. I feel like we have some good chemistry out there on the court and I’m excited for this season.”
Gone are the days where Anciaux routinely had a four-inch height advantage in the City League, where she averaged 20 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Kapaun as a two-time first team all-state pick in Class 5A. While she’s still the tallest person on the team at WSU, now she’s going up against more athletic and taller players every day in practice.
Adams has been impressed with how she’s handled the transition to the Division I level. On Tuesday, Anciaux showcased some of that improvement when she buried her defender, caught the lob and finished through contact for a three-point play.
“She did really well,” Adams said. “She hit some shots and she blocked some shots and she stepped up and made a free throw. For your post players, when they go to the line and knock down their free throws, that’s how post players separate themselves. I think she just came out ready to lead the charge.”
Anciaux said Trajata Colbert, a 6-foot-2 junior entering her fourth season in the program, has been instrumental in her development since joining the team.
“I’m really grateful for her as a senior mentor,” Anciaux said. “She’s helped me a lot going against her and battling against her and giving me pointers. She’s been a big supporter of mine since day one, so I really appreciate her and all of the other posts that I get to work with every day.”
International flavor offers intrigue, challenges
There is plenty of diversity on the WSU women’s roster this season, as eight of 15 players hail from foreign countries. Outside of the US, the Shockers feature players from France, Spain, Russia, Belgium, Uganda, New Zealand and Mozambique.
Several of those players could be key contributors to WSU this season, but Adams mentioned on Tuesday that communicating to so many players who speak different languages can be a challenge.
“Our communication,” Adams said when asked what WSU is working to improve in practices. “We have several international players, so that seems like something we’re having to work through.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do learning and playing with one another. Our returners have a good feel for each other, but it’s that newcomers and returners meshing together. We’ll get better each day they’re on the floor together with that.”
A handful of the foreign players stood out in their brief playing time during the scrimmage on Tuesday.
Nhug Bosch Duran, a 5-foot-7 point guard from Barcelona, impressed with her handles and shooting ability. Adams also pointed out the play of Tanya Platonova, another 5-foot-7 freshman guard who hails from Moscow, and Carla Budane, a 6-foot freshman post from Mozambique.
Although she was held out of the scrimmage as a precaution due to a minor injury, 6-foot-2 junior post Trajata Colbert earned the most praise from her head coach. Colbert started the final 14 games of last season and averaged 8.7 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Shockers.
“Trajata has been one of our most improved players,” Adams said. “With our post players, we have a lot of different ways to come at you.”
Scrimmage set
Adams said the WSU women will play its closed scrimmage on Friday, Oct. 22. Adams did not say who the Shockers will play, but add the description of it being “a really good opponent.”
This story was originally published October 13, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
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