Given that Cleveland State lost nine players to the 2025 transfer portal, the Vikings were more relieved than most programs to see the annual window mercifully close on Thursday.
However, last week, they managed to replenish one of those spots with the addition of former Northern Colorado and Valparaiso wing Ella Van Weelden. Van Weelden announced her commitment through Instagram on April 17th.
Undoubtedly, a major reason CSU saw a fit with the Iowan in her final year of eligibility is her elite blend of size and shooting. With UNC this past season, the 6-2 Van Weelden connected on 45 of her 123 three-point tries (36.6 percent), leading the Bears in both makes and attempts, while finishing second in percentage.
On the surface, that might not sound like a ton next to the likes of Destiny Leo and Mickayla Perdue, who chucked 251 and 237 threes, respectively, in 2024-25. However, normalizing those counts gives Van Weelden 8.13 attempted triples per 40 minutes last season, ahead of both former Vikings snipers. Her percentage didn’t quite match Leo’s 41.8, but it did best Perdue’s 32.5.
In other words, Van Weelden is, potentially, one piece of rebuilding a Vikings’ three-point attack that had come to flow almost entirely through two players, after typically presenting three or four threats on the floor in the past.
She showed off that shot in plenty of big moments this past season, including the Bears’ most notable victory of their 14, on November 23rd at BYU. In that overtime effort, Van Weelden spent 27 minutes on the floor and connected on a pair of threes, one of which gave UNC the lead for good in the extra period.
In the two contests of the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge a couple weeks later, she went 8-for-14 from deep and scored 26 total points in wins over St. Thomas and North Dakota.
The marketing major was also named to the CSC Academic All-District team last month.
Van Weelden began her career with former Horizon League member Valparaiso, where she participated in 44 games in two seasons, after redshirting as a freshman in 2021-22. Though she never received the same sort of playing time with the Beacons that she earned at Northern Colorado, she still managed several efficient efforts, including nine points and six rebounds in just 11 minutes against Southern Miss in her first collegiate game.
In 2023-24, she buried four threes twice, against Bradley and Southern Illinois, establishing and then matching a 12-point career high that stood until this past season’s St. Thomas game.
With Van Weelden’s addition, Cleveland State’s roster now sits at five players, including returners Colbi Maples, Macey Fegan, and Sarah Hurley, as well as incoming freshman Hanna Medina Kajevic. Though Chris Kielsmeier and his staff still have plenty of work to do in filling out next season’s roster, it undoubtedly feels good to be adding players once again.
