Utah Valley basketball: New women's assistant coach hired

Head coach Cathy Nixon has hired Danielle Cheesman as an assistant coach. Cheesman joins the coaching staff after spending the last three years playing professionally in Europe.

She also served as a player/coach in Switzerland. Cheesman attended Mountain View High School in Orem where she was one of the top prep players in the country and played collegiately at BYU, leading the Cougars to a Mountain West championship in 2002 and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament.

Also announced this week: By virtue of its 3.419 team GPA, the team has earned the No. 9 ranking on the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.

The ninth spot is 15 higher than the No. 24 ranking the team achieved during the 2006-07 season.

"It's so great. What an honor to have and I'm so proud of their accomplishment," said Nixon. "Most of the players are in upper division courses as they near graduation and I'm so pleased to see them rewarded for their hard work."

In a year the team also had its best season on the court at the Division I level with 16 wins, the Wolverines also had six players named to the D-I Independent All-Academic team; Rebekah Peterson, Hollie Beaman, Sandy Marvin, Robyn Fairbanks, Lauren Smith and Blake Reynolds.