Gonzaga-Nebraska key matchup: Sophomore guard Jaz Shelley brings versatility for the Cornhuskers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Nebraska guard Jaz Shelley is one of the most versatile players the Gonzaga women have faced this year.

A sophomore from Australia, she averages 13 points, 6.5 rebounds and five assists.

So who will defend Shelley when the Zags take on Nebraska in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

Everyone.

“The only way I really know how to do it is to do it together, and that’s been a recipe for success for us,” GU coach Lisa Fortier said Thursday.

“We’ve got good defenders on our team, but none of them are probably best if they’re just going 1-on-1 with a player,” Fortier said.

“I think that we would be doing ourselves a disservice if we left anyone out on an island and expected them to do it alone.”

Most likely, the primary role will fall to senior Abby O’Connor, who often gets the task of defending opponents’ star players.

“She can score at multiple levels, and so just keying in on her, everyone needs to know where she is,” O’Connor said of Shelley. “We’ll stop her as a team of Zags.”

The 5-foot-9 Shelley transferred this year after two seasons at Oregon. In her freshman year, the Sabrina Ionescu-led Ducks were a favorite to win it all, but the tournament was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year at Oregon she played in 22 games but missed the Ducks’ first two NCAA games after rolling an ankle.

Seeking a fresh start, she used the NCAA’s one-time NCAA exemption to join the Huskers.

“Obviously, she’s had a couple games where she’s scored over 30 this year,” Nebraska coach Amy Williams said Thursday. “She’s a great shooter. But the big thing, we knew she’s a great passer. She sees the floor well. She makes everybody on the team better.”

“It’s been a little rough with NCAA Tournaments,” Shelley said. “The first year COVID happened and we had a great team with a chance to win the whole thing, so I think that was kind of a shot in the foot.”