University of Denver Athletics

Honors and Awards:
Tewaaraton Watch List … Tewaaraton Top-25 Watch list …  USA Lacrosse Magazine Preseason All-American … IL Women Midseason All-American … Big East Defensive Player of the Year … All-Big East First Team … Big East Defensive Player of the Week (2/26, 4/8, 4/15) … All IWLCA West/Midwest Region First Team … IL Women Second Team All-American … USA Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-American ... IWLCA All-American Second Team ... IWLCA West/Midwest Region First Team ... All-Big East First Team ... USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American Second Team ... Inside Lacrosse All-American Second Team ...IWLCA National Defensive Player of the Week (May 16, 2023 – co-winner) ... 2x Big East Defensive Player of the Week (March 13, 2023; March 27, 2023) ... Tewaaraton Award Nominee...IWLCA Academic Honor Roll...First Team IWLCA All-Mid-Atlantic (2021) … First Team All-Big Ten (2021) … IWLCA Academic Honor Roll (2021) … Third Team USA Lacrosse Magazine All-American (2021) … Honorable Mention Inside Lacrosse All-American (2021) … Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week twice (April 24, 2018, April 27, 2021) … Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2020, 2021) … Big Ten Academic All-Conference (2020, 2021)

2024:
Started all 20 games … Led Denver with 41 ground balls and 38 caused turnovers … second on the team with 85 draw control wins … added a goal against Marquette (4/6) … caused a season-high five turnovers against Northwestern (3/8) … recorded a caused turnover in all but three games … caused three or more turnovers on six occasions … earned a career-high 11 wins in the draw circle in the Big East Semifinal game against Villanova (5/2), the seventh most by a Pioneer in a single game … ranks seventh with 85 draw control wins in 2024 … added two ground balls and two caused turnovers in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Northwestern (5/12)

 2023:
Led the Pioneers with 61 ground balls, which were tied for the third-most in a campaign in school history and ranked third overall in the NCAA during the season … Was second on the team with 62 draw controls, ranked tied for ninth-most in a season in program history … Was one of four players in the nation with at least 50 ground balls and 50 draw controls … Ranked third on DU with 39 caused turnovers … Recorded her first career points during the year, tallying five goals and six assists … Caused a turnover in 21-of-23 games played and recorded three CTs on five occasions … Had a season-high five ground balls three times during the year (March 22 at Jacksonville, April 8 at Connecticut, April 29 at Marquette, May 12 vs. USC) … Recorded five or more draw controls in five games and had a career-best six draws on March 9 vs. Niagara … Made her Denver debut on Feb. 10 at Louisville, recording one ground ball and two caused turnovers … Recorded three ground balls, one caused turnover and three draw controls in her first DU home game at Peter Barton Stadium on March 1 vs. Michigan … Scored her first career goal and first collegiate point on a free-position shot on March 9 vs. Niagara, starting a career-long four-game goal and point streak … Tallied again and added her first assist on March 13 vs. Delaware … Had a career-high three points (1g/2a) and first non-free-position tally on March 19 vs. No. 4 Boston College (in Jacksonville, Fla.) … Recorded her third-straight and third of four multi-point outings with one goal and one assist on March 22 at Jacksonville … Picked up two points (1g/1a) on senior day vs. Georgetown on April 22 … Had one assist, five ground balls, three caused turnovers and two draw controls vs. Southern California in the NCAA Tournament First Round on May 12 … Registered two ground balls and one caused turnover at No. 4 North Carolina in the NCAA Quarterfinals on May 18 … Combined for two caused turnovers, two draw controls and one assist vs. No. 1 Northwester in the NCAA Semifinals on May 26.

2022:
Did not play.
 
2021 (Johns Hopkins):
Started all 15 games and led the team with 29 caused turnovers and ranked second with 38 ground balls … Finished second in the Big Ten in caused turnovers and fourth in ground balls … Tallied five ground balls and a caused turnover vs. Northwestern on Feb. 28 … Caused four turnovers and grabbed three ground balls in win over Penn State on April 7 … Posted back-to-back three ground ball, three caused turnover games vs. Rutgers on April 11 and Maryland on April 14 … Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on April 21 … Notched three ground balls and three caused turnovers in win at Penn State in Big Ten Quarterfinals on April 29 … Grabbed five ground balls and caused a pair of turnovers in loss to #13 Maryland in Big Ten Semifinals on April 30 … Scooped up a two ground balls vs. James Madison in NCAA First Round on May 14
 
2020 (Johns Hopkins):
Started six games and finished w with 11 ground balls, six caused turnovers and two draw controls … Grabbed four ground balls and caused a turnover in win at Georgetown on Feb. 26 … Picked up three ground balls and caused a turnover in win at Saint Joseph’s on March 7.
 
2019 (Johns Hopkins):
Played one game at Drexel on Feb. 10 before missing the remainder of the season.
 
2018 (Johns Hopkins):
Started all 19 games as a freshman and totaled 33 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers … Anchored a defense that ranked second in the Big Ten in goals-against average (10.52) … Made her collegiate debut vs. Marquette on Feb. 9, causing a turnover and picking up two ground balls in the matchup … Recorded a game-high three caused turnovers to go with two ground balls at Georgetown on Feb. 28 … Had a career day with six ground balls and four caused turnovers in win over Ohio State on April 20 … Named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on April 24 … Recorded a caused turnover and ground ball vs. Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament on May 4 … Grabbed two ground balls and caused a turnover in loss to Navy in NCAA First Round on May 11
 
Why DU:
“I chose the University of Denver because of the beautiful campus and the close-knit Pioneer family.”
 
High School:
Spent the last two years of high school at the International School of Manila in the Philippines after spending her freshman and sophomore years at Catonsville High School in Baltimore, Md. … Played eight years with Sky Walkers Lacrosse … Also competed in soccer, basketball and track & field … Was the school-record holder in 100, 200 and 400-meter dash.
 
Personal:
Daughter of James and Rebecca McPherson … Has two younger sisters, Madison and Eden Cassidy … Played with Madison for two seasons at Johns Hopkins in 2020 and 2021 … Graduated from Johns Hopkins in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology … Worked in public relations with cybersecurity firm CynergisTek, volunteered as an AmeriCorps service member and coached at Harlem Lacrosse in 2021-22 … Invited to try out for the U.S. National Team for the 2022 World Championships … Father James ran track at West Point Military Academy … Intends to get her master’s degree in social work … Looks to become a licensed clinical social worker and work in the mental health field with at-risk populations … Also enjoys snowboarding, traveling and hiking.