Senior (1997-98)
Emily Thompson helped the Huskers to one of the best seasons in school history as a senior by providing a solid inside presence as a a part-time starter in the Nebraska lineup. The 6-3 center from Springfield, Mo., averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while playing in all 33 contests with 13 starts. She shot a solid 47.5 percent from the field, including a pair of three-pointers. She also added 27 assists, 13 blocked shots and 25 steals on the season.
A solid student, Thompson earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies in August of 1997, before completing her fifth season of eligibility at Nebraska.
Thompson helped the Huskers finish with a 23-10 overall record that included an 11-5 Big 12 Conference mark. Nebraska also won the school's second NCAA Tournament game by defeating New Mexico in Norfolk, Va., before falling to Old Dominion in the second round.
Junior (1996-97)
Thompson appeared in all 28 games for the Huskers as a junior, including 10 starts. She got off to a great start, scoring a career-high 17 points in the season-opening win at Illinois State, and she was NU's starter at center for the first 10 games of the season. She hit 6-of-11 shots from the field against the Redbirds and had four rebounds.
Thompson reached double figures against Pacific in the Big Kona Classic, finishing with 10 points and two steals. She averaged 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game on the season. She pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds in a win at Missouri, just one shy of her career high. She made 4-of-5 shots from the field and grabbed four rebounds in a nine-point scoring effort against Baylor. She closed the season with a seven-point performance on 3-of-4 shooting against Texas in the Big 12 Tournament. She averaged 3.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 11.3 minutes per game during Big 12 regular-season action.
Sophomore (1995-96)
Despite knee problems, Thompson came off the bench to average 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. She hit 43.9 percent of her shots from the field and pulled down 16 offensive rebounds among her 26 total rebounds on the year. She blocked seven shots on the year, while playing 8.2 minutes per game. Two of those blocks came against a talented Georgia team that went on to play for the national title.
Thompson hit 18-of-24 (75 percent) of her free throw attempts on the season. She averaged 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in Big Eight Conference action. She had a season-high 11 points against Oklahoma, going 3-for-6 from the field and 5-for-6 at the free throw line. Thompson made 3-of-4 shots and finished with eight points in a win over Nicholls State. She played 22 solid minutes in a win over Colorado, finishing with six rebounds. Thompson had six points and six rebounds in a win over Michigan.
Redshirt Season (1994-95)
Thompson suffered an injury to her right anterior cruciate ligament in early practices and was forced to redshirt in her second season at Nebraska. Before her injury, she had shown plenty of promise and was set to challenge for a starting role in Nebraska's lineup.
Freshman (1993-94)
Thompson finished third on the team in rebounds with 4.0 per game and appeared in 29 contests with nine starts as a true freshman at Nebraska. She saw her playing time increase as the season progressed. She averaged 5.1 points per game and blocked a total of six shots on the year. She scored in double figures six times, including her first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds against Kansas State.
Thompson twice scored a season-high 14 points against Missouri and Colorado. She shot 51.6 percent from the field on the season and grabbed seven or more rebounds on eight occasions. In Big Eight Conference play, Thompson averaged 6.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 54.4 percent from the field.
High School
Thompson earned all-conference, all-district, All-Ozarks and all-state honors at Glendale High School in Springfield, Mo. She helped her team to the quarterfinals of the state tournament by averaging 15 points and 13 rebounds per game. She earned four varsity basketball letters. Thompson chose Nebraska over Tulane and Southwest Missouri State.
Personal
Thompson earned her bachelor's degree in communication studies from Nebraska in August of 1997 and played her senior season as a graduate student at NU. She was born Feb. 19, 1975, in Springfield, Mo. The daughter of George and Lyn Thompson, Emily has one older brother, Miles.
Thompson's Career Statistics