Career Notes
A solid all-around player, she has started 54 games at the off-guard over the last three seasons and will once again challenge for the starting nod in her final season ... A steady player, she ranks as one of the most accurate free throw shooters in school history and could end her career in Bradley’s top 10 for games played and started.
2005-06 Season (Junior)
Played in all 28 games, starting 11 contests ... After struggling from beyond the three-point arc to start the season, she made 8-of-19 three-point attempts (42.1 percent) in Missouri Valley Conference play ... Ranked third on the team, shooting 72 percent from the free throw line ... Reached double figures in points twice, scoring a season-best 13 points against Illinois ... Made a season-high seven free throws, hitting 7-of-9 from the line during an 11-point, five-rebound effort at Evansville ... Played 20 or more minutes six times.
2004-05 Season (Sophomore)
Named the team’s Most Improved Player, she was one of the Braves most consistent players ... Started all but two games while increasing her scoring, rebounding and assists ... Increased her field goal percentage to 42.5 percent and made 50 percent (14-for-28) of her three-point attempts ... Made 24 consecutive free throws after going 1-for-3 in the season opener and finished the season with a 91.7 free throw percentage ... Was one of the team’s top players down the stretch, averaging 9.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and shot 44.9 percent from the field during the final 11 games of the year ... Scored a season-high 17 points and grabbed five rebounds against Creighton ... Scored in double figures nine times, which included a stretch of seven double-figure scoring outputs in eight games ... Tied a career-high with seven rebounds to go along with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting at Northern Iowa ... Led the team in scoring twice and rebounding once ... Ranked fourth on the team in scoring at 6.3 points per game and was third on the squad in scoring in Valley games at 7.1 per game.
2004 European Exhibition
Averaged 4.2 points and 1.8 assists per game, playing in all five contests ... Shot 73.3 percent from the free throw line, hitting 11-of-15 attempts ... Scored 10 points and added four rebounds and four assists against Tournai Midi.
2003-04 (Freshman)
After playing an average of 8.8 minutes per game in the first 11 tilts of the year, Nelson averaged 21.1 minutes per game the remainder of the season ... Scored a season-high 20 points off the bench in her breakthrough game, hitting 10-of-12 free throws against Wichita State ... Dished out a season-best four assists against Missouri ... Also had 11 points against Missouri in her home debut ... Shot 70.3 percent from the free throw line (45-for-64).
High School
Led Carl Sandburg to a share of the SICA West Conference title ... Averaged 15 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals per game as a senior, while earning Star Tribune Player of the Year honors ... Earned fourth-team Class AA all-state honors from the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association following her senior year ... Also earned all-state honors from the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times along with the Champaign News-Gazette ... As a junior, Nelson averaged 13 points per game and helped Sandburg to a 22-10 record and a share of the SICA West conference championship ... She led the Eagles in scoring three consecutive seasons and was a three-time all-conference selection.
Personal
The daughter of Ted and Deborah Nelson, Erika was born April 21, 1985 in Harvey, Ill. ... Enrolled in Bradley’s award-winning Academic Exploration Program ... Erika’s father, Ted played baseball at Illinois State ... President of the Braves’ Council, the student-athlete advisory committee ... Also serves on the Intercollegiate Athletic Committee ... Named to the Bradley Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in five of her six semesters at Bradley ... The oldest of two children, Erika has a younger brother, Cole (15).
