TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State head women's basketball coach Chad Killinger announced the addition of forward Chelsea Cain to the program Tuesday afternoon.
"I couldn't be more excited about adding Chelsea to our program," Killinger said. "She is one of the best pure athletes I've ever had the opportunity to work with and she has worked really hard to continue to develop her skill level since her freshman season. That work ethic has allowed her to become a well-rounded basketball player, which will allow her to contribute immediately. Her ability to play both inside and out helps bring added versatility to the roster, but more importantly, she's going to bring a competitive fire that will help us continue to raise our level of play."
Cain joins the Sycamores after spending the past three seasons at Nicholls, where she emerged as one of the top players in the Southland Conference. In 73 career games for the Colonels, Cain averaged 11.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. She was Nicholls' leading scorer each of the last two seasons and finished second in the Southland Conference in scoring both years. During the 2020-21 season, Cain was the only player in the conference to rank in the top three in both scoring and rebounding.
Cain averaged 15.3 points per game last season despite averaging just 25 minutes per game. She scored in double-figures 15 times during the 2021-22 season and had five games with 20-plus points, including a career-high 29 in a conference-opening win over New Orleans. She was named Southland Conference and Louisiana Player of the Week following the New Orleans game, where she scored Nicholls' last 14 points and had a putback in the final seconds to give the Colonels the win. She followed that performance with a 28-point, 13-rebound outing against Northwestern State. Cain finished the season with three double-doubles, with two of those coming against Southland foes. She was also a preseason First Team All-Southland selection.
The Prairieville, Louisiana, native blossomed during the 2020-21 season, setting career-highs of 17.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per game to earn First Team All-Southland and All-Louisiana First Team honors. She finished the season ranked second in the conference in scoring and third in rebounding. Included in that 2020-21 season were 22 games with double-figure scoring, nine games with 20 or more points and nine double-doubles. She had a career-high 29 points along with 13 rebounds in a conference-opening win over Sam Houston, one of five 20-point, 10-rebound games for her that season. Her performance against Sam Houston earned her Southland and Louisiana Player of the Week honors, while she also earned Southland All-Tournament honors after averaging 20.0 points and 9.5 rebounds during the conference tournament.
Cain played in 29 games as a freshman, averaging 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game for a Nicholls team that finished the season on a seven-game win streak. She had a season-high 14 points and 12 rebounds against Stephen F. Austin for her first career double-double. Cain had four games with double-figure scoring, three of which came against Southland opponents.
Killinger is no stranger to Cain, as the Sycamore head coach spent two seasons as the top assistant coach at Nicholls. Killinger worked with the Colonel forwards and played an instrumental role in Cain becoming one of the top players in the conference during the 2020-21 season.
Cain joins incoming freshmen Bella Finnegan and Lily Niebuhr, who both signed in November, as additions to the Sycamore roster for the 2022-23 season.
Indiana State Women's Basketball 2022-23 Newcomers
Chelsea Cain // 6-0 // F // Prairieville, La. // Dutchtown HS / Nicholls State
Bella Finnegan // 6-0 // G // Hometown, Ill. // Mother McAuley HS
Lily Niebuhr // 6-3 // C // Chaska, Minn. // Chaska HS
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