Rocket Spotlight on Ella Weaver

Ella Weaver is a junior guard on the Toledo women's basketball team. A native of Ruckersville, Va., Weaver has appeared in 49 games and played 376 minutes for the Rockets, including 31 games and 304 minutes last season. She is currently pursuing her degree in finance.

How did you get started in basketball and in other sports?
"I got started in basketball in third grade. It was just kind of parks and rec. Then, in fifth grade I joined a travel team. And then, in seventh grade, I joined a more serious travel team. In 10^th grade, I joined a travel team even more serious. So, I just kept leveling up every couple years and just kept growing the love for it. I also did gymnastics through middle school and I played volleyball throughout high school."

Talk about your hometown of Ruckersville.
"It's definitely a smaller town where everyone knows everyone. The support within the community was very big. But we're very close to Charlottesville and UVA (the University of Virginia), so it wasn't too small of a town -- a good mix."

When did you start looking to play college basketball?
"Ninth and 10th grade is when I started to get some attention, and when I started to realize that college basketball was a real possibility for me. They (schools nearby in Virginia) were the first ones to reach out and recruit me. But when I joined the West Virginia Thunder for AAU, I started playing out of state more, then more schools from out of state started reaching out. The first couple of schools that I can think of that reached out were Radford and George Mason."

What ultimately connected you with Toledo?
"Toledo came late in the recruiting process, but they were quick to offer and I was quick to get on campus. Once I got on campus, I just knew that they had good culture and a winning program.
I was surprised by how good the facilities were for a mid-major. The support from the community was the biggest thing that surprised me."

You experienced a coaching change after your freshman season. What kept you at Toledo?
"The people here, not just the coaching staff, but the players, and the support from the community and the athletic department. I believe that the people make the place and that is ultimately what kept me here."

What have you enjoyed so far through your first two years at Toledo?
"My experience wouldn't be the same without my teammates. I think we just get along so well and they're genuinely my best friends. My life would be different if I wasn't with them."

Talk about how your team bonding was organized throughout the summer?
"Usually someone will send something in the group chat like 'we're going to the pool today, we're going to half-off movie night tonight, watching Dancing with the Stars tonight, watching The Bachelor tonight," and then people would just come and hang out. We did all kinds of stuff over the summer and we continue, and it's always a good time. Of the shows we watch, I like The Bachelor the best. We always try to have a watch party for it, no matter the season."

What excites you most about your upcoming junior season?
"I think just playing freer for myself and being more confident. I think we are establishing really good team chemistry even though we have a lot of new people. We're playing together really well and it's just a lot of fun. I'm having fun playing."

Can you describe the importance of putting in extra work in the gym?
"It's so important for me because it builds my confidence to see the ball go through the net. So, I'm in there everyday shooting with Coach (Hailey) Yohn after practice. It's nothing crazy, just getting some spot shots up. But it just helps me feel good mentally and to feel the physical aspect of the shot."

What is a practice routine like, especially when you have school during the week?
"Usually I have class in the morning at 9:30, then get out at around 11, come straight to the gym, heat up some food that I brought, get ready for practice, roll out before practice everyday, and then we practice. We usually start with some offensive breakdowns, getting up shots, maybe some defensive breakdowns. And then we'll focus and clean up something on offense, clean up something on defense, maybe guard new action, and then at the end we'll put it all together and play. After practice, I'll get up my extra shots and then go home, make some food, do some homework, watch TV with the team if something good is on, and then go to bed around 10."

Did you have a favorite WNBA Player or any favorite women's basketball player growing up?
"Growing up, I would say I looked up to Elena Delle Donne. Now, A'Ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) is probably my favorite.

Your are in the College of Business and Innovation. Do you want to go into the business world or possibly start your own someday?
"Definitely in the business world. I'm majoring in finance so not quite sure exactly where I want to go from there, but maybe something in wealth management. But definitely something probably in corporate business. Both of my parents are teachers, so their careers are very different."

What types of classes are you taking working towards your major?
"I'm actually in senior level classes so I'm going to graduate in the spring. This one is random, but I took an environmental science class last year as a pre-rec and we put full-on waders on and got in the river on campus and looked for fish. It was kind of fun. We had the nets and had the waders all the way up, so we were like waist-deep in there."

Players Mentioned

Ella Weaver

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