She’d been asking for a title since she was 5; all it took was scoring a little less
It didn’t take Lynden girls basketball coach Rob Adams long to figure out he had something special when Elisa Kooiman arrived on the varsity scene four seasons ago. All she did as a freshman was average 14.5 points per game and hit a pair of late free throws against Ellensburg to help the Lions claim third in the 2014 Class 2A State Tournament.
She went on to average 17.3 points per game as a sophomore and 19.0 as a junior while leading Lynden to sixth-place and second-place trophies at state the next two years.
But Adams said before the season if Kooiman was to truly have a special senior season before heading off to play collegiately at Northwest Nazarene, she was going to have to score less in 2016-17 – saying the 12- to 17-points per game average would be about perfect for his standout.
“This summer, she really changed her mindset from being a great scorer to being a complete player,” Adams said before the start of the season. “We need her to be a facilitator and have others around her step up. We need her not to focus so much on how much she scores but when she scores.”
Kooiman found the perfect balance, as she not only led Whatcom County with 14.6 points per game, she also achieved a lifelong dream of winning a state title. For her efforts, she has been selected The Bellingham Herald’s All-Whatcom County Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year.
This has been my dream since I was a little girl. I've asked for the same thing every year on my birthday since I was 5 years old.
Lynden senior Elisa Koiman after winning Class 2A state title
“This has been my dream since I was a little girl,” Kooiman said after Lynden beat Burlington-Edison 44-36 in the state title game last month. “I've asked for the same thing every year on my birthday since I was 5 years old. ... Getting a chance to listen to ‘We Are The Champions’ finally is something I've dreamed of for a long time.”
Kooiman certainly played a big part in that dream coming true, as she scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the title game. She ended up being selected tournament MVP after averaging 17.7 points during the tournament.
But it was her leadership and the intangibles she brought to the court that may have made the biggest difference for the Lions in Yakima and throughout the season.
“She really kept her composure,” Adams said after the title game. “Instead of trying to beat people with her physicality, she was doing it with her basketball IQ. She rose to the occasion all week long.”
The 6-foot guard also was selected first-team All-Northwest Conference and was a first-team All-State selection in Class 2A.
All-Whatcom County Girls’ Basketball Players of the Year
2005-06: Megan Bush, Sehome
2006-07: Brianne Ryan, Lynden Christian
2007-08: Courtney VanBrocklin, Mount Baker
2008-09: Kenzie De Boer, Lynden Christian
2009-10: Taylor Ulrich, Squalicum
2010-11: Jasmine Hommes, Lynden Christian
2011-12: Jasmine Hommes, Lynden Christian
2012-13: Rachel Albert, Sehome
2013-14: Kara Bajema, Lynden Christian
2014-15: Emily Yost, Mount Baker
2015-16: Kara Bajema, Lynden Christian
2016-17: Elisa Kooiman, Lynden
All-Whatcom County Girls Basketball first team
Player | Position | School | Yr. |
Natalie Amos | G | Lynden | Jr. |
Averaged 7.1 points per game, including scoring 10 points in the Class 2A state championship game ... Helped lead the Lions to the Class 2A state title ... Selected second-team All-NWC. | |||
Darrien Camarillo | G | Ferndale | Sr. |
Averaged 8.2 points per game ... Helped Ferndale to a 9-9 record and tie for seventh in the Northwest Conference ... Selected second-team All-NWC. | |||
Avery Dykstra | G | Lynden Chrisitan | Jr. |
Averaged 11.6 points per game ... Helped LC go 25-2, win NWC, 1A Northwest District and bi-district titles and place fourth at the 1A State Tournament ... Selected NWC’s Most Outstanding Player and honorable mention all-state in Class 1A. | |||
Sara Eisses | P | Sehome | Jr. |
Averaged a team-high 7.2 points per game ... Helped Sehome to a 13-10 record, a tie for seventh in the Northwest Conference and into the Class 2A Bi-District Tournament ... Selected second-team All-NWC. | |||
Ellesse FitzGerald | G | Meridian | Jr. |
Averaged 10.5 points per game ... Helped Meridian reach the Class 1A State Tournament and finish with a 20-9 record ... Selected second-team All-NWC. | |||
Katrina Gimmaka | P | Nooksack Valley | Jr. |
Finished second in Whatcom County with 13.8 points per game ... Helped Nooksack Valley go 11-9 and finish sixth in the Northwest Conference ... Selected first-team All-NWC. | |||
Isabella Hernandez | F | Lynden Christian | So. |
Averaged 9.8 points per game ... Helped LC go 25-2, win Northwest Conference, 1A Northwest District and bi-district titles and place fourth at the 1A State Tournament ... Selected second-team All-NWC. | |||
Stephanie Soares | F | Mount Baker | Jr. |
Finished fourth in Whatcom County with 12.6 points per game ... Helped Mount Baker to a 24-5 record and the first Class 1A state title in school history ... Selected first-team All-NWC, first-team all-state tournament and first-team all-state in Class 1A. | |||
Danielle Tyler | G | Mount Baker | So. |
Averaged 12.5 points per game ... Helped Mount Baker to a 24-5 record and the first Class 1A state title in school history ... Selected first-team All-NWC, first-team all-state tournament and honorable mention all-state in Class 1A. | |||
Sam VanLoo | P | Lynden Christian | Jr. |
Averaged a team-high 12.2 points per game ... Helped LC go 25-2, win NWC, 1A Northwest District and bi-district titles and place fourth at the 1A State Tournament ... Selected first-team All-NWC and second team all-state tournament in Class 1A. | |||
Chalae Wolters | G | Squalicum | Jr. |
Averaged 12.1 points per game ... Helped Squalicum go 9-11 and fiinish 10th in the Northwest Conference ... Selected second-team All-NWC. | |||
This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "She’d been asking for a title since she was 5; all it took was scoring a little less."