2020-21 G-MAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Team
After a promising debut as the Hillsdale College women's basketball team's sixth man as a freshman in 2019-20, there was plenty of excitement about the player Sydney Mills could become.
As a sophomore, Mills made good on a lot of that promise with a standout season for the Chargers. That success has been recognized by the other coaches in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference with a spot on the All-G-MAC second team for the 2020-21 season as announced by the league office this afternoon.
In her second season on the court, Mills did things that haven't been done by a Charger women's basketball player since All-American Megan Fogt was patrolling the lane for Hillsdale in 2015. She opened the season with a 21-rebound performance against Findlay, just seven off the school record set by another All-American, Katie Cezat, in the 2008-09 season, and the most by a Charger player since Fogt was in uniform.
That was one of two eye-opening statistical performances Mills had on the season, the other coming on the road at Ursuline, where the sophomore scored 34 points, the most in a single game by a Charger woman since Fogt's 41 at Walsh on Feb. 1, 2014, and also added 13 rebounds in a 90-79 Hillsdale loss.
For the season, Mills was the only player in the G-MAC to average a double-double, finishing the season averaging 14.8 points per game and 10.4 rebounds. She led the Chargers in both categories and finished the season with eight double-doubles.
It was a big step forward for Mills, who averaged 6.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a reserve for the Chargers as a freshman. The DeWitt, Michigan native got off to a slow start offensively in 2020-21, averaging just 7.4 points per game in the Chargers' first six games, but once she acclimated to her new role offensively and gained confidence, she became a consistent offensive threat for Hillsdale, scoring 12 or more points in each of the Chargers' final 15 contests.
For the season, Mills finished with 218 rebounds, just shy of making the top 10 all-time list for single-season rebounds at Hillsdale College despite playing in seven fewer games than any other player currently on the list. If she stays healthy and continues on her current rebounding pace, Mills is on track to end her career at fifth all-time in career rebounds at Hillsdale College.
Mills is one of four starters slated to return for the Chargers in the 2021-22 season as Hillsdale looks to improve on a 4-17 record in 2020-21 and return to the G-MAC Tournament after a two-year absence.