The moment Nicole Heffington took the court at John Carroll University, everyone knew she was a basketball player like no other. 

The performance Heffington put on during the 2021 season confirmed her talent as she pushed the team to a 13-2 record and an Ohio Athletic Conference Championship. She was named to the OAC All-Tournament Team and received OAC Player of the Year for her efforts.

During the postseason, Heffington has received many prestigious awards for her accomplishments this year, including being named All-American. 

Last week, Heffington was named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division III Coaches’ All-American. This is an award only 10 players in the United States receive. “I have been working towards this accomplishment since I first knew it existed my freshman year at John Carroll,” said Heffington.“It’s a surreal feeling to be one of 10 given this award. It definitely does not come without strong commitment and dedicated teammates!”

Her teammate Olivia Nagy was honored as a WBCA NCAA Division III Coaches’ All-American honorable mention as well. This was Nagy’s second time receiving this honor during her tenure at John Carroll.

“I am beyond proud of Nicole and Liv. They set high goals for themselves at the beginning of the season and they worked hard and stayed focused, even with all the uncertainty of a full season,” said Head Coach Beth Andrews. “They both are great leaders and they feed off each other and make everyone around them play better!”

That was just the beginning of the awards Heffington received last week. 

Heffington was named to the 2021 Women’s Collegiate All-Star Team from the WBCA as well last week. This award was given to Heffington and 18 other women’s basketball players from NCAA Division III schools. Out of the whole Ohio Athletic Conference, Heffington was the only one to receive these accolades. 

During the 2021 season, Heffington posted a team-high 255 points, averaging 17 points per game. She led the team in steals with 26, assists with 33 and followed Nagy in rebounds with 97. 

In addition to the previous awards, Heffington also received All-American honors from D3hoops.com along with five other NCAA Division III women’s basketball players. 

With the extra year of eligibility from the COVID-19 pandemic, Heffington will return to the Blue Streaks for her fifth and final year. 

“Next season, we are looking to go beyond the conference title and also place strong at the NCAA tournament,” mentioned Heffington. “With a strong post- and pre-season, I think we can make it to the NCAA Elite Eight.”