CEDAR CITY, Utah - Nearing the close of its final year in the Western Athletic Conference, the Southern Utah women's basketball team has continuously exceeded all expectations and proven itself as one of the greatest teams in program history.

While the Thunderbirds have found success on the back of an incredible offense, they wouldn't be where they are today without the defensive prowess of standout sophomore Kortney Doman. She's a consistent staple of the lineup and leads the team in both blocks and steals while averaging 6.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Yet, Doman's contributions are hardly summed up on a stat sheet. Time after time, the Thunderbirds rely on her to guard the WAC's top players, and time after time, she delivers. 

It's hard to believe that only a year ago, such an impactful player arrived in Cedar City as a walk-on, and prior to that, lived over 500 miles away on a ranch in a tiny town called Crane, Oregon.

The High School Superstar

For the Domans, basketball has always been a family ordeal. From playing backyard ball to winning state championships, those who love and support Doman have been there every step of the way.

"Sports were just a big thing in my family," Doman shared. "If you were at home, you were outside on the lawn playing football or baseball, or on our little court playing basketball. I had an older sister who played basketball, and my mom played basketball, so we were always out there together."

By the time Doman reached her teenage years, her family had moved from the west side of Oregon to the east. Their new home in Crane included a ranch, which meant she and her siblings were tasked with helping their father keep the business running smoothly.

Even now, Doman works at the livestock auction in Cedar City each Thursday, which helps her stay in touch with her roots on the ranch.

In addition to working with her dad during her teenage years, Doman continued to blossom in her basketball career with her mother as her coach.

"Even if she wasn't the head coach, she was always helping me off the court," Doman explained. "She was in the gym with me every day, rebounding for me and helping me improve my game. She was a big part of my basketball skills growing up."

Once Doman joined the team at Crane Union High School — where her mom was an official coach — she quickly became one of the strongest 1A players in the state. In four years together, the potent Doman duo went on to win three state championships and compile a phenomenal 101-3 record. Individually, Doman earned All-State honors four times and won the title of Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons to close out her high school career.

"We were a really good team. It was a lot of fun," Doman said. "My mom was coaching, and my teammates were really good friends. It was really enjoyable."

The Walk-On

While her high school career was incredibly impressive, Doman's path to the Thunderbirds' starting lineup wasn't a simple plug-and-play situation. She wound up at Southern Utah thanks to the suggestion of her sister, who had played for the Thunderbirds from 2016 to 2018.

"I didn't really have a ton of options because I was kind of late in the game," Doman stated. "As a kid, I was coming here to watch games. I really liked the feel of Cedar. The community and the people here are amazing. I just had a good feeling about it."

Doman's older sister arranged a meeting with Southern Utah Women's Basketball Head Coach Tracy Mason, who said, "I loved how humble she was and how much she wanted to be here. That goes a long way with me. I want to coach people who love SUU, and I believe Kortney is a great example of that. What really sealed the deal for me was that after her family all walked out, she came back into the office and said, 'I just want you to know, I really want to be here.'"

Due to Doman visiting late in the recruiting process, Southern Utah's scholarships had already been divvied out. However, that didn't deter the committed young prospect from sticking with her gut and making the journey to Cedar City as a walk-on.

"When I first got here, I just wanted to play. I wanted to be on the basketball team and keep playing throughout my career," Doman shared. "It wasn't a huge deal that I didn't get paid my freshman year like everyone else. I appreciated that Tracy gave me that opportunity to still be on the team."

During her walk-on year as a freshman, Doman not only saw playing time in every SUU game, but also showed flashes of the amazing player she is today. She averaged 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in a meager 10 minutes per game, and she ended the season with 17 steals.

As her debut year came to a close, the Southern Utah coaching staff realized that they had a future star on their hands, and with a substantial portion of the 2024-2025 team graduating, she would soon need to fill the void.

"Scholarship or not, I'm always going to try and work for my spot," Doman said. "I feel like it paid off through my freshman year in the little time I played, and then coming into my sophomore year and being able to start meant a lot."

The Game-Changer

Since being named to the starting lineup heading into the 2025-2026 season, Doman has maintained a high standard of excellence. So far, she's compiled 30 steals and 25 blocks while averaging an extensive 32.6 minutes per game.

On top of that, she has far fewer fouls than would typically be expected of a defensive specialist. In WAC play, she has only reached four fouls twice. Doman is a disciplined athlete, but the root of her defensive success lies in a competitive nature that feeds off of one of the most spirited teams in the conference.

"If you tell me that's your best player, I say, 'Bring it on. I'm going to stop you right here. I'm competitive, and I do not want you to score on me,'" Doman explained. "I feel like it's ingrained in my brain. Now it's muscle memory, and it just happens."

She also attributes her intense work ethic on both sides of the ball to her mother, who has been extremely supportive and continues to advise her from afar. Doman's mom texts her before every game to remind her to be herself and focus on contributing to the team in every way she can.

This collectivistic mindset has played a huge factor in the Thunderbirds' impressive season, and it will continue to propel the team as they enter their postseason run.

"Winning the WAC tournament has been on our minds ever since we started the season," Doman said. "For us, it's next-game mentality and focusing on one game at a time, but it's in the back of our minds. We want that WAC Championship."

Doman has her eyes on the prize with only two games left in the regular season, but the sophomore's impact on and off the court will be felt for years to come.

"Kortney is such a huge piece of the puzzle for us. She absolutely loves the game. She's always in the gym. She's coachable and works so hard all of the time," Coach Mason stated. "She's embraced the role of defender, but she's also a big key to our offense. She's a guard who loves to rebound, cuts hard, and is going to give you 100% effort every day. In addition to what she does on the court, she's an amazing teammate. She puts others first and leads by example every day."

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