Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Augustana (Exhibition) on October 29, 2025
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Women's Basketball
vs Augustana (Exhibition)
South Dakota State University Athletics
Women's Basketball
Thielbar, Carissa
Carissa Thielbar
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- Carissa.Thielbar@sdstate.edu
Carissa Thielbar completed her 10th season on staff at South Dakota State in 2023-24. She was elevated to associate head coach in July of 2023.
Thielbar has helped the program reach seven NCAA Tournaments and win 14 Summit League titles - eight regular season crowns and six conference tournament championships. In total, with Thielbar on the bench, State has posted a .767 win percentage.
Thielbar is responsible for SDSU's perimeter player development, academics and wellness oversight. She also assists with opponent scouting, offense and recruiting.
Thielbar's first stop at SDSU spanned from 2011-15, during which she served as a graduate assistant an assistant coach. She returned to Brookings for the 2018-19 season following stints at Bucknell and Colorado State.Â
South Dakota State repeated as Summit League regular-season and postseason champions in 2023-24. The Jacks became the first Summit League team in history to go unbeaten in back-to-back seasons, finishing the year with a 16-0 conference record. They entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed for the fifth time in the last six seasons and won their 11th Summit League tournament title with three double-digit wins. The Jackrabbits were a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament and fell to No. 5 Utah in the First Round in Spokane, Washington, ending the year with a 27-6 overall record.
Brooklyn Meyer was honored as the Summit League Player of the Year in 2024, the first sophomore to earn the award since 2011. She was also the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. Paige Meyer joined Brooklyn Meyer on the Summit League First Team while Madison Mathiowetz deemed honorable mention. Tori Nelson picked up all-defensive team honors and Jenna Hopp landed on the all-freshman team.
In 2022-23, the Jackrabbits went 29-6 overall and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in program history. The No. 8-seed Jackrabbits opened the tournament with a thrilling 62-57 overtime victory over No. 9 USC before falling to No. 1 Virginia Tech on the Hokies’ home court in the second round.
During the non-conference slate, South Dakota State knocked off a pair of ranked opponents in No. 10 Louisville (65-55) at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas and No. 24 Kansas State (82-78) at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. The Jacks went 18-0 in the Summit League regular season to win their third straight conference title and dominated the Summit League Tournament to return to the national stage. Myah Selland was named the Summit League Player of the Year for the second time and was joined in all-league team recognition by Paiton Burckhard (second team), Paige Meyer (second team) and Haleigh Timmer (second team). Kallie Theisen was named the Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year and Dru Gylten was an all-newcomer team honoree.
SDSU finished the 2021-22 season with a 29-9 overall mark and once again won a Summit League crown, compiling a 17-1 mark for the program's seventh regular season title. The Jackrabbits finished runner-up in the Summit League Tournament and accepted an invitation to the WNIT for the fifth time in program history.
The Jacks rattled off six straight WNIT wins at Frost Arena en route to the program's first WNIT championship, including an 82-50 victory over Seton Hall in the title tilt. Myah Selland (MVP) and Haleigh Timmer were named to the WNIT all-tournament team. SDSU opened the tournament with a trio of dominant wins, beating Ohio 87-57, Minnesota 78-57 and Drake 84-66. In the quarterfinal game, the Jacks held off Alabama 78-73 and then did the same with UCLA, winning 62-59 in the semifinal matchup. State opened up a 25-7 lead over Seton Hall during the first quarter of the championship contest and never looked back, cruising to the 32-point win and setting a new championship game record for margin of victory.Â
The Jackrabbits returned to the top of the Summit League during the 2020-21 season, capturing its sixth regular season title. State posted a 14-0 conference record, going undefeated in Summit League action for the first time in program history. The squad topped three nationally ranked opponents throughout the season, defeating No. 15 Iowa State, No. 18 Gonzaga and 20th-ranked Missouri State.
The Jacks fell in the quarterfinals of The Summit League Tournament to Omaha, but earned its 10th NCAA Tournament berth with the program's first ever at-large bid. SDSU finished the season with a 21-4 record, falling to No. 8-seeded Syracuse, 72-55, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. State spent nine weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll and eight weeks in the USA TODAY/Coaches Poll during the 2020-21 season. The Jacks ranked as high as 21st in the Coaches Poll and No. 22 in the AP Poll.Â
State finished the 2019-20 season 23-10 overall. SDSU topped nationally ranked South Florida and earned its 1,000th program win over Notre Dame at the Cancun Challenge. The squad went 13-3 in Summit League action and finished runners-up in the Summit League Tournament. Tori Nelson was named Summit League Freshman of the Year and earned a place on the All-Newcomer team. Paiton Burckhard and Tagyn Larson were both selected to All-Summit League teams. Following the Summit League Tournament, all post-season tournaments were canceled due to COVID-19.
With several key players returning in 2018-19, the Jackrabbits were poised for another big season. With Summit League career scoring leader Macy Miller and the top three-point shooter in program and league history, Madison Guebert, leading the backcourt, SDSU cruised to the Summit League regular season title with a 15-1 record. The Jackrabbits also came out victorious in the league tournament for the ninth time in 11 tries, again defeating their in-state rival South Dakota, 83-71, in the title tilt.
Thielbar played a significant role in developing with both Miller and Guebert.
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SDSU went into the 2019 NCAA Tournament with their highest-ever seed at No. 6. Traveling to Syracuse, New York, the Jackrabbits opened tournament play with a 76-65 win over No. 11 Quinnipiac. Two nights later, the Jackrabbits recovered from an early double-digit deficit to get past host and third-seeded Syracuse, 75-64, to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time.
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The Jackrabbits then headed west for a matchup against second-seeded Oregon in the Portland Regional. The two squads met at Frost Arena during the regular season and, much like the first meeting, the Ducks held the upper hand in the closing minutes to end SDSU’s season with a 28-7 record by handing the Jackrabbits a 63-53 defeat.
She spent the 2017-18 season as and assistant coach at Colorado State where she helped the Rams to a 21-12 record and WNIT postseason appearance. Â
Prior to CSU, Thielbar was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Bucknell University for two seasons. She helped the Bison to a program-best 27-6 record, a Patriot League title and 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance.
The former Carissa Nord spent four previous seasons at South Dakota State, serving as a graduate assistant during the 2011-12 season and then as an assistant coach from 2013-15.
During her tenure, the Jackrabbits made the NCAA Tournament three times and reached the WNIT semifinals in 2013-14. SDSU claimed both Summit League regular-season and postseason tournament titles her first three seasons on the bench. The Jacks compiled a 99-36 overall record, including a 55-9 mark in league play, during her four years on the bench.
A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Thielbar also coached at the NCAA Division II and Division III levels. During the 2009-10 season, she helped lead the University of Chicago (Illinois) to a 19-7 record and a berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. In 2010-11, she served as a graduate assistant at Wayne State College (Nebraska), where she was part of a coaching staff that helped lead the Wildcats to a 26-4 overall record, a regular-season title in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and a berth in the NCAA Division II Central Regional.
Thielbar played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-Superior for three seasons, serving as team captain for one year. She averaged more than 10 points per game for her career and during the 2007-08 campaign she shot 45 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Thielbar earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at University of Wisconsin-Superior in 2009, and completed a master’s degree in sports pedagogy at South Dakota State.
Thielbar and her husband Caleb, a former Jackrabbit pitcher and current member of the Minnesota Twins organization, reside in Brookings and have one son, Joshua.Â
Thielbar has helped the program reach seven NCAA Tournaments and win 14 Summit League titles - eight regular season crowns and six conference tournament championships. In total, with Thielbar on the bench, State has posted a .767 win percentage.
Thielbar is responsible for SDSU's perimeter player development, academics and wellness oversight. She also assists with opponent scouting, offense and recruiting.
Thielbar's first stop at SDSU spanned from 2011-15, during which she served as a graduate assistant an assistant coach. She returned to Brookings for the 2018-19 season following stints at Bucknell and Colorado State.Â
South Dakota State repeated as Summit League regular-season and postseason champions in 2023-24. The Jacks became the first Summit League team in history to go unbeaten in back-to-back seasons, finishing the year with a 16-0 conference record. They entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed for the fifth time in the last six seasons and won their 11th Summit League tournament title with three double-digit wins. The Jackrabbits were a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament and fell to No. 5 Utah in the First Round in Spokane, Washington, ending the year with a 27-6 overall record.
Brooklyn Meyer was honored as the Summit League Player of the Year in 2024, the first sophomore to earn the award since 2011. She was also the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year. Paige Meyer joined Brooklyn Meyer on the Summit League First Team while Madison Mathiowetz deemed honorable mention. Tori Nelson picked up all-defensive team honors and Jenna Hopp landed on the all-freshman team.
In 2022-23, the Jackrabbits went 29-6 overall and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time in program history. The No. 8-seed Jackrabbits opened the tournament with a thrilling 62-57 overtime victory over No. 9 USC before falling to No. 1 Virginia Tech on the Hokies’ home court in the second round.
During the non-conference slate, South Dakota State knocked off a pair of ranked opponents in No. 10 Louisville (65-55) at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas and No. 24 Kansas State (82-78) at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. The Jacks went 18-0 in the Summit League regular season to win their third straight conference title and dominated the Summit League Tournament to return to the national stage. Myah Selland was named the Summit League Player of the Year for the second time and was joined in all-league team recognition by Paiton Burckhard (second team), Paige Meyer (second team) and Haleigh Timmer (second team). Kallie Theisen was named the Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year and Dru Gylten was an all-newcomer team honoree.
SDSU finished the 2021-22 season with a 29-9 overall mark and once again won a Summit League crown, compiling a 17-1 mark for the program's seventh regular season title. The Jackrabbits finished runner-up in the Summit League Tournament and accepted an invitation to the WNIT for the fifth time in program history.
The Jacks rattled off six straight WNIT wins at Frost Arena en route to the program's first WNIT championship, including an 82-50 victory over Seton Hall in the title tilt. Myah Selland (MVP) and Haleigh Timmer were named to the WNIT all-tournament team. SDSU opened the tournament with a trio of dominant wins, beating Ohio 87-57, Minnesota 78-57 and Drake 84-66. In the quarterfinal game, the Jacks held off Alabama 78-73 and then did the same with UCLA, winning 62-59 in the semifinal matchup. State opened up a 25-7 lead over Seton Hall during the first quarter of the championship contest and never looked back, cruising to the 32-point win and setting a new championship game record for margin of victory.Â
The Jackrabbits returned to the top of the Summit League during the 2020-21 season, capturing its sixth regular season title. State posted a 14-0 conference record, going undefeated in Summit League action for the first time in program history. The squad topped three nationally ranked opponents throughout the season, defeating No. 15 Iowa State, No. 18 Gonzaga and 20th-ranked Missouri State.
The Jacks fell in the quarterfinals of The Summit League Tournament to Omaha, but earned its 10th NCAA Tournament berth with the program's first ever at-large bid. SDSU finished the season with a 21-4 record, falling to No. 8-seeded Syracuse, 72-55, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. State spent nine weeks ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll and eight weeks in the USA TODAY/Coaches Poll during the 2020-21 season. The Jacks ranked as high as 21st in the Coaches Poll and No. 22 in the AP Poll.Â
State finished the 2019-20 season 23-10 overall. SDSU topped nationally ranked South Florida and earned its 1,000th program win over Notre Dame at the Cancun Challenge. The squad went 13-3 in Summit League action and finished runners-up in the Summit League Tournament. Tori Nelson was named Summit League Freshman of the Year and earned a place on the All-Newcomer team. Paiton Burckhard and Tagyn Larson were both selected to All-Summit League teams. Following the Summit League Tournament, all post-season tournaments were canceled due to COVID-19.
With several key players returning in 2018-19, the Jackrabbits were poised for another big season. With Summit League career scoring leader Macy Miller and the top three-point shooter in program and league history, Madison Guebert, leading the backcourt, SDSU cruised to the Summit League regular season title with a 15-1 record. The Jackrabbits also came out victorious in the league tournament for the ninth time in 11 tries, again defeating their in-state rival South Dakota, 83-71, in the title tilt.
Thielbar played a significant role in developing with both Miller and Guebert.
Â
SDSU went into the 2019 NCAA Tournament with their highest-ever seed at No. 6. Traveling to Syracuse, New York, the Jackrabbits opened tournament play with a 76-65 win over No. 11 Quinnipiac. Two nights later, the Jackrabbits recovered from an early double-digit deficit to get past host and third-seeded Syracuse, 75-64, to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time.
Â
The Jackrabbits then headed west for a matchup against second-seeded Oregon in the Portland Regional. The two squads met at Frost Arena during the regular season and, much like the first meeting, the Ducks held the upper hand in the closing minutes to end SDSU’s season with a 28-7 record by handing the Jackrabbits a 63-53 defeat.
She spent the 2017-18 season as and assistant coach at Colorado State where she helped the Rams to a 21-12 record and WNIT postseason appearance. Â
Prior to CSU, Thielbar was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Bucknell University for two seasons. She helped the Bison to a program-best 27-6 record, a Patriot League title and 2017 NCAA Tournament appearance.
The former Carissa Nord spent four previous seasons at South Dakota State, serving as a graduate assistant during the 2011-12 season and then as an assistant coach from 2013-15.
During her tenure, the Jackrabbits made the NCAA Tournament three times and reached the WNIT semifinals in 2013-14. SDSU claimed both Summit League regular-season and postseason tournament titles her first three seasons on the bench. The Jacks compiled a 99-36 overall record, including a 55-9 mark in league play, during her four years on the bench.
A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Thielbar also coached at the NCAA Division II and Division III levels. During the 2009-10 season, she helped lead the University of Chicago (Illinois) to a 19-7 record and a berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. In 2010-11, she served as a graduate assistant at Wayne State College (Nebraska), where she was part of a coaching staff that helped lead the Wildcats to a 26-4 overall record, a regular-season title in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and a berth in the NCAA Division II Central Regional.
Thielbar played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-Superior for three seasons, serving as team captain for one year. She averaged more than 10 points per game for her career and during the 2007-08 campaign she shot 45 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Thielbar earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at University of Wisconsin-Superior in 2009, and completed a master’s degree in sports pedagogy at South Dakota State.
Thielbar and her husband Caleb, a former Jackrabbit pitcher and current member of the Minnesota Twins organization, reside in Brookings and have one son, Joshua.Â
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