Women’s basketball: Mendota grad Amellia Bromenschenkel having good season at Purdue-Fort Wayne

Mendota graduate Amellia Bromenschenkel spent the summer in Fort Wayne, Indiana, working on her game in preparation for her third full season with the Purdue-Fort Wayne women’s basketball team.

The offseason program included a lot of one-on-one sessions with her coaches, working on shooting, ball handling and other skills while participating in a strength program.

So far this season, the work has been paying off.

Bromenschenkel is leading the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game and blocks at 0.8 per game and is tied for the team lead in rebounds at 6.7 per game to go along with 2.3 assists and one steal per contest.

She’s helped the Mastodons to a 8-4 overall record and a 2-0 start in Horizon League play.

“I think we’ve come out with a really strong start to the season,” said Bromenschenkel, a three-time NewsTribune All-Area pick and two-time NewsTribune Girls Basketball Player of the Year in her three seasons at Mendota. “Personally, I tried really hard this offseason to get better, and I feel like my teammates did too. I think we’re finally putting on a show for what we’ve worked for the past three years.”

One area Bromenschenkel really tried to improve is with her confidence.

“Personally, I tried really hard this offseason to get better and I feel like my teammates did too. I think we’re finally putting on a show for what we’ve worked for the past three years.”

—  Amellia Bromenschenkel

“Since freshman year I’ve been building more and more confidence, and I think that’s a big part of my game,” Bromenschenkel said. “Because I have the abilities, and I think just growing in confidence will help me to get better.

“I think just putting in a lot of work, working with the coahces, working in the strength department has given me more confidence, for sure.”

Offensively, Bromenschnekel has been very efficient. She’s shooting 50% from the field (56 of 112), including 50% from 3-point range (16 of 32).

“I think just shooting the shots that come to me,” Bromenschenkel said about the key to her offensive success. “I’m not forcing bad ones. I’m taking open 3s. I’m shooting what my teammates get open for me.”

Bromenschenkel has received recognition for her play this season, being named Horizon League Player of the Week on Nov. 27.

She averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a steal per game that week while shooting 61.1% from the floor and helping the Mastodons to a 2-1 record at then Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida.

“It was a good accomplishment for me,” Bromenschenkel said. “I’ve been working for that for a few years now. I’m super proud of it.”

Bromenschenkel’s player of the week honor came during a week in which the Mastodons faced No. 5-ranked Iowa, which is led by Caitlin Clark, the reigning John R. Wooden Award winner and Associated Press Player of the Year.

Bromenschenkel had 16 points, six rebounds and two assists in a 98-59 loss to the Hawkeyes. Clark scored 29 points.

Bromenschenkel said she wasn’t matched up against Clark but did guard her on a few possessions.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for our team,” Bromenschenkel said. “It’s just super cool to play someone with that many fans. She’s a great basketball player, and it was super cool to be able to play against her. I think our team really had fun with that game.”

Bromenschenkel and the Mastodons return to action Dec. 30 at Milwaukee as they begin the heart of the Horizon League schedule with eight straight conference games.

“We’re off to a pretty good start,” Bromenschenkel said. “We’ve had a couple bad losses, but I think we’re going to bounce back, and I think we’re ready for conference play.

“We keep it going in conference. We have a lot of promise. We really want to show ourselves to the conference this year. Last year we started at the end of the season [with a run to the conference tournament semifinals], and we just want to keep that moving and keep showing we have the capabilities to be at the top of the conference.”

Personally, Bromenschenkel is looking to move up the all-conference list after being named third team last season.

“I was first-team all conference in the preseason,” Bromenschenkel said. “I would like to keep that going and get the real honor at the end of the year.”