- Rachel Theriot Photo Gallery
- Q&A with Rachel Theriot
- Rachel Theriot Biography (PDF)
- Rachel Theriot Video Feature (2012)
Honors & Awards
- Naismith Trophy Watch List (2015, 2016)
- Wade Trophy, Wooden Award Watch Lists (2015)
- Senior CLASS Award Nominee (2016)
- Allstate Good Works Team Nominee (2016)
- Lieberman Award Watch List (2015)
- Associated Press All-American (HM, 2014)
- Preseason First-Team All-Big Ten (2015, 2016)
- All-Big Ten (1st, 2014; 2nd, 2015; HM, 2016)
- Big Ten Tournament MVP (2014)
- Big Ten All-Tournament Team (1 of 6, 2014)
- Nebraska Co-Offensive MVP (2014)
- Big Ten Player of the Week (Jan. 20, Feb. 25, 2014)
- Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2013)
- Big Ten Freshman of the Week
(Dec. 31, 2012, Jan. 22, 2013, Feb. 5, 2013) - Nebraska Season Record 234 Assists (2014)
- No. 3 at Nebraska in Career Assists (626)
- No. 16 at Nebraska in Career Points (1,288)
- Nebraska NCAA Tournament Record 12 assists (vs. Fresno State, March 22, 2014)
- Big Ten Tournament Record 18 assists (vs. Minnesota, March 7, 2014)
- Big Ten Tournament Record 10.0 Assists Per Game (2014)
- Seven Career Double-Doubles (Points-Assists)
- Academic All-Big Ten (2014, 2015, 2016)
- Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2014, 2015, 2016)
- Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015; Spring 2013, 2014, 2015)
- No. 70 Player in the Nation (Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, 2011)
- No. 96 Player in the Nation (All-Star Girls Report, 2011)
- No. 18 Point Guard in the Nation (ESPN/HoopGurlz, 2011)
- Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Star (1 of 5, 2011)
- All-Ohio Division I (First Team, Midpark, 2012)
- All-Ohio Division I (Third Team, Midpark, 2011)
- All-Ohio Division II (Third Team, Walsh Jesuit, 2010)
- Northeast Lakes District Player of the Year (2012)
- Northeast Lakes All-District (First Team, 2011, 2012)
- Southwestern Conference Most Valuable Player (2012)
- All-Southwestern Conference (First Team, 2011, 2012)
Senior (2015-16)
Rachel Theriot (pronounced RAY-chel, TERRY-oh) had her second straight season end early with an ankle injury that required surgery on Feb. 29. She started 23 of 29 games as a senior, finishing her career No. 3 at Nebraska and No. 10 in Big Ten history with 626 assists. She also ranked 16th in Husker history with 1,288 career points.
Theriot earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades from the media as a senior after averaging 10.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and a Big Ten-best 7.3 assists per game.
A Wade, Wooden and Naismith National Player-of-the-Year candidate as a junior, Theriot led the Huskers with 16.5 points and 5.2 assists per game through 21 games in 2014-15. She suffered an ankle injury in practice on Feb. 3 and missed NU’s final 11 games. Theriot underwent ankle surgery on Feb. 19, 2015.
An honorable-mention All-American as a sophomore, Theriot is one of the nation’s best point guards and was a Lieberman Award candidate in 2014-15. She is expected to contend for All-America honors on and off the court, as a candidate for CoSIDA Academic All-America and Senior CLASS Award recognition in 2015-16.
Theriot set a Nebraska single-season record with 234 assists as a sophomore in 2013-14. She owns 67 double-figure scoring efforts, including 13 20-point games.
Junior (2014-15)
Despite missing nearly half of the Big Ten season, Theriot earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference coaches. She led the Huskers with 16.5 points and 5.2 assists per game, while adding 4.2 rebounds.
One of the Big Ten's top shooters, Theriot hit 40.8 percent (20-49) of her three-point attempts while connecting on 92.6 percent (63-68) of her free throws. Her free throw percentage would have easily led the conference, but she did not meet the minimum games requirement.
A candidate for the Wade, Naismith, Wooden and Lieberman awards as a junior, Theriot was a preseason first-team All-Big Ten selection.
Theriot scored in double figures in 19 of 21 games on the season to push her career total to 51 double-digit efforts. She produced five 20-point games as a junior, including a season-high 31 in a win over High Point Dec. 20. She added 27 points in a win at Illinois Jan. 11. She had 25 points against Northern Colorado Nov. 30, and 24 points, a career-high eight rebounds and seven assists at UCLA Nov. 28. She added 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals against Utah Nov. 23.
Theriot had a game-high 17 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists in Nebraska's win over No. 9 Duke Dec. 3. She added her only double-double of the year with 18 points and a season-high 10 assists at Minnesota Dec. 29. It was her fifth career points-assists double-double.
Theriot became the 30th 1,000-point scorer in Nebraska history when she knocked down her first field goal in a win over Illinois Jan. 29.
Theriot played every minute in 12 of NU's first 21 games in 2014-15, including all 45 minutes in an overtime game at Iowa on Jan. 26.
Sophomore (2013-14)
An honorable-mention AP All-American, first-team All-Big Ten pick and the 2014 Big Ten Tournament MVP, Theriot averaged 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, while leading the Big Ten in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.7). She was also one of the league's top shooters, hitting 48.4 percent of her field goal attempts, including 43 percent of her three-pointers, while knocking down 88.5 percent of her free throws. In Big Ten games-only, Theriot led the league in three-point shooting (.500).
Theriot ranked second among the Huskers in scoring in Big Ten play, averaging 15.6 points per game, while leading the Big Red and ranking second in the Big Ten with 7.3 assists per game.
Theriot averaged 18.7 points and a tournament-record 10.0 assists while leading the Huskers to wins over Minnesota, No. 19 Michigan State and No. 23 Iowa. In the championship game win over the Hawkeyes, she scored a game-high 24 points, while distributing four assists.
That performance followed an 18-point, eight-assist effort in an 86-58 semifinal win over the No. 19 Spartans. Theriot opened with a Big Ten Tournament-record 18 assists, smashing the previous mark of 12. Her total doubled NU's previous top assist total in a conference tournament game (9). They were the most assists by a Big Ten player against a Big Ten opponent in history. She added 14 points and five boards against Minnesota.
Theriot closed with a Nebraska single-season record 234 assists. She notched her fourth double-double with 10 points and 12 assists in an NCAA Tournament first-round win over Fresno State.
It was her fifth game with 11 or more assists on the year, which were the most by a Husker in a career, surpassing former teammate and All-America point guard Lindsey Moore (2010-13).
Theriot produced four 20-point efforts in Big Ten play, including a career-high 33 points, nine assists and no turnovers in a win over Minnesota Jan. 16. She fueled NU's rally from 14 down with 17 second-half points and four more in overtime, including two free throws with 15 seconds left to seal the 88-85 win.
Theriot captured her first career Big Ten Player-of-the-Week award on Jan. 20, after producing 19 points against Purdue on Jan. 19. For the week, she averaged 26 points and 6.5 assists per game. She claimed her second Big Ten weekly honor on Feb. 25, after averaging 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in wins over Ohio State (Feb. 20) and No. 8 Penn State (Feb. 24). At OSU, Theriot led the Huskers with 26 points and a season-high-tying seven rebounds to bring NU back from a nine-point second-half deficit. Against No. 8 Penn State, Theriot pumped in 17 points and dished out eight assists.
Theriot closed the regular season with 24 points and a career-best 4-for-4 three-point shooting at No. 19 Purdue. She added 23 points, six rebounds, eight assists and no turnovers in a win over Indiana Feb. 16.
Theriot helped the Huskers to a 26-7 overall record, which marked the second-best win total and the second fewest losses in school history.
She opened Nebraska's nine-game winning streak (Jan. 29-Feb. 27) with her first career double-double, a 10-point, 11-assist effort in a rout of Michigan Jan. 29. Two games later, she added 11 points and 11 assists at Wisconsin Feb. 5. The next time out, she just missed a third double-double with nine points and 12 assists in a 20-point win over Michigan State on Feb. 8.
Theriot scored in double figures 25 times in 2013-14, including in 16 of 19 games against Big Ten opponents and both of NU's NCAA Tournament games. She had 19 points, six rebounds and eight assists to open Big Ten play in a win over Northwestern. She scored nine of NU's final 14 points, including a pair of shot-clock buzzer-beaters and the game-winner in NU's 66-65 victory Jan. 2.
She had 28 points in NU's road win at Utah Nov. 15. She matched her season best with seven rebounds while adding four assists. She hit six free throws in the final 35 seconds to seal the win and scored 19 second-half points against the Utes. She had 17 points, three rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block in a win over Alabama Nov. 11.
Freshman (2012-13)
Theriot was a unanimous choice of the coaches on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after averaging 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists on the year. She produced double figures seven times on the year.
Theriot, who played in all 34 games with 28 straight starts despite battling a foot injury, was even better in Big Ten play, averaging 7.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists with 16 starts.
In NU’s first-round NCAA win over Chattanooga, Theriot had 12 points, two assists, a rebound and a steal. She scored seven big points - all in the final three minutes of the first half - to help Nebraska knock off No. 9 Texas A&M in College Station March 25. She added seven points on 3-of-4 shooting, while pitching in four rebounds and two assists against No. 5 Duke March 31.
A three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Theriot had a season-high 19 points in NU’s win over Iowa Feb. 24, before following with 11 points, including eight in the second half, in NU’s win at Wisconsin Feb. 28. She had 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the win over Minnesota Feb. 3, tying her career high with seven rebounds and dishing out five assists with no turnovers. That followed a nine-point, five-rebound, six-assist effort in a win at Ohio State Jan. 31. She added nine points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in NU’s second meeting with the Buckeyes.
Theriot had 13 points and a season-high eight assists at Minnesota Jan. 20. She added season bests with three threes at Minnesota. She had 14 points and six assists at Indiana Jan. 10, then nine points, three boards and three assists at No. 8 Penn State. Theriot had 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and a season-high three steals against Grambling State Dec. 29. She had six points, six boards and four assists in her first career start against No. 11 Maryland Nov. 28.
Before Nebraska
Theriot was a three-time All-Ohio performer, earning first-team Division I honors as a senior at Midpark High School in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, in 2011-12. She was the Northeast Lakes District Player of the Year after averaging 16.6 points, 11.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game for Coach Stephanie Mentz. She led Midpark to its second straight district title. In the championship game victory over Brecksville, Theriot erupted for 19 points, 16 assists, six rebounds and three steals.
For the season, Theriot hit 50 percent of her field goal attempts, including 45 percent of her threes, while being named the Southwestern Conference Most Valuable Player. In addition to being an All-Ohio Division I first-team selection, Theriot was chosen to participate in the North/South High School All-Star Game.
As a junior in 2010-11, Theriot helped Midpark to a 22-3 record and a Southwestern Conference title. She averaged 12.7 points, 9.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 1.3 blocks for the Meteors. In addition to earning third-team All-Ohio Division I honors, she was one of five players on the Cleveland Plain Dealer All-Star team in 2011. She was also a first-team All-SWC selection and a first-team Northeast Lakes All-District pick.
Theriot was ranked as the No. 70 player overall by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report and No. 96 by the All-Star Girls Report. She was ranked as the No. 18 point guard in the nation by ESPN/HoopGurlz and was ranked among ESPN's top 100 high school seniors in the nation.
Theriot played her first two high school seasons for the Walsh Jesuit Warriors for Coach Pete Zaccari. As a sophomore, she led Walsh Jesuit to the Ohio Division II state semifinals after averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. She led the Warriors to a 23-2 record. She hit 38 three-pointers on the year and was an 89 percent free throw shooter.
As a freshman, Theriot averaged 11.8 points, 3.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 3.2 steals to help Walsh Jesuit to a 19-7 record.
Theriot played AAU ball for Sports City U and Coach Tom Jenkins. She earned a spot on the Pool A All-Star Team at the Windy City Classic (U.S. Junior National Championships).
Personal
The daughter of Curtis and Cheryl Theriot, Rachel was born July 7, 1994. Rachel has three older brothers, Josh, Dallas and Bryan. She chose Nebraska over Xavier, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State, Dayton and Washington among others.
A three-time academic All-Big Ten selection, Theriot earned her bachelor's degree in May of 2016 after majoring in child, youth and family studies.
In the summer of 2019, Theriot played for the Toledo Threat in the Women's Basketball Development Association. She completed her third season with Tsmoki-Minsk in the Belarus Premier League in 2018-19, leading the team to the Belarus Premier League title with 27 points, five boards and six assists in the championship game. She averaged 8.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds on the year.
In 2017-18, Theriot was the MVP of the Baltic Women's Basketball League (BWBL) Tournament in September of 2017. A three-time academic All-Big Ten selection, Theriot earned her bachelor's degree in May of 2016 after majoring in child, youth and family studies.
Theriot's Career Statistics
Year |
G-GS |
FG-FGA |
Pct. |
3P-3PA |
Pct. |
FT-FTA |
Pct. |
TRB-Avg. |
PF-D |
A |
TO |
Blk |
ST |
Pts-Avg. |
2012-13 | 34-28 | 89-210 | .424 | 23-65 | .354 | 10-17 | .588 | 94-2.8 | 34-0 | 101 | 84 | 6 | 33 | 211-6.2 |
2013-14 | 33-33 | 178-368 | .484 | 40-93 | .430 | 69-78 | .885 | 111-3.4 | 51-2 | 234 | 86 | 8 | 39 | 465-14.1 |
2014-15 |
21-21 |
132-313 |
.423 |
20-49 |
.408 |
63-68 |
.926 |
89-4.2 |
22-0 |
109 |
65 |
8 |
17 |
347-16.5 |
2015-16 |
25-23 |
102-232 |
.440 |
13-31 |
.419 |
48-54 |
.889 |
96-3.8 |
23-0 |
182 |
75 |
8 |
26 |
265-10.6 |
Career |
113-105 |
501-1,122 |
.447 |
96-238 |
.403 |
190-217 |
.876 |
390-3.5 |
130-2 |
626 |
310 |
30 |
115 |
1,288-11.4 |