Northwest Nazarene University Women's Basketball

Biography Steve Steele enters his 10th season as the head coach for the Nighthawks in the 2025-26 academic year.  Over nine seasons at the helm, Steele has a career record of 146-89 (.621) overall and 99-53 (.651) in GNAC play. During that time, Steele has coached one WBCA All-American, four D2CCA All-West Region selections, one GNAC Player of the Year, one GNAC Freshman of the Year, and 19 All-GNAC performers. In 2024-25, Steele led the Nighthawks back to the GNAC Tournament for the first time since 2022. NNU went 16-12 overall and 10-8 in GNAC play, finishing fifth in the conference standings. A few highlights from the regular season were a road victory at Western Washington and a huge home upset of No. 6 Montana State Billings. At the end of the season, Kendall Clark was named to the All-GNAC First Team, the fifth first team all-conference player during Steele's tenure. NNU closed the 2021-22 regular season on a five-game winning streak and finished 18-10 overall and 12-6 in the GNAC. They earned the four-seed in the conference tournament and then an at-large bid to the NCAA West Regional, their fourth-straight berth in a full season after not attending the tournament in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign. Three Nighthawks earned All-Conference honors following the season. In 2019-20, the Nighthawks went 22-7 overall and finished second in the GNAC at 17-3 in conference play. NNU qualified for the NCAA Regional for the third-straight year before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2018-19 season, Steele led the Nighthawks to the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament, the program's first GNAC tournament title, the No. 1 ranking in the country during the regular season, a 14-0 home record and a school record 18-game winning streak. In the 2017-18 season, he led the Nighthawks to the GNAC regular-season title (first for the program since 2000) and a berth to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. The team finished 22-5 overall, 18-2 in conference and had a 13-game winning streak. Steele took over the NNU program after spending three seasons as an assistant at GNAC rival Seattle Pacific. Prior to his time with the Falcons, Steele spent two years as an assistant coach for the women's team at Concordia (CA). A 1999 graduate of Concordia (CA) where he played soccer and earned a Bachelor's degree in Religion, Steele also spent 12 years coaching at national powerhouse Brea Olinda High School in California, helping guide the team to the 2009 National Championship. Steele, who also taught special education and general education for 13 years while coaching in California, earned an Education Specialist Credential from National University (Calif.) in 2005, and his Master's in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia (CA) in 2013. Steele and his wife, Gwin, have a son, Jacob, and daughter, Evan.   Year-by-Year Year Overall Pct. GNAC Pct. Postseason 9 Seasons 146-89 .621 99-53 .651 6 GNAC Tourney Appearances | 4 NCAA West Regional Appearances 2016-17 12-15 .444 10-10 .500 GNAC Quarterfinals 2017-18 22-5 .815 18-2 .900 GNAC Regular Season Champs | GNAC Semifinals | NCAA Regional Quarterfinals 2018-19 29-3 .906 18-2 .900 GNAC Tournament Champs | NCAA Regional Semifinals 2019-20 22-7 .759 17-3 .850 GNAC Semifinals | NCAA Regional Qualifer^ 2020-21* 7-7 .500 -- -- -- 2021-22 18-10 .643 12-6 .667 GNAC Quarterfinals | NCAA Regional Quarterfinals 2022-23 11-15 .423 7-11 .389 -- 2023-24 9-15 .375 7-11 .389 -- 2024-25 16-12 .571 10-8 .556 GNAC Quarterfinals ^NCAA Tournament canceled due to COVID-19 *GNAC regular season & tournament not held due to COVID-19, played shortened spring season  

Talys Toppen returned to the Northwest Nazarene women's basketball program as an Assistant Coach in the 2024-25 academic year. Talys spent three years as a student manager and the 2022-23 year as an assistant with the program before taking a year off. During high school and summers during college, she coached for a couple of different AAU and club teams in the Seattle area, including Way to Win, Trust Basketball, Lynnwood, and North Creek. Growing up, her family also owned a basketball training facility for a couple of years so she was able to get a head start in many aspects of leading and coaching. A native of Woodinville, Wash., Talys started her collegiate career playing for the University of Redlands in California, but only played one season before multiple injuries led to a decision to end her playing career.  

Elpidia Allen returned to the Nighthawks sideline in the 2024-25 season after a few years away from the program. The 2025-26 year will now be Allen's 12th season with NNU women's basketball. Allen is one of the top recruiters in the West and is consistently credited with helping build the Nighthawks program into a national powerhouse. NNU made three consecutive national tournaments, won its first national tournament game in 16 years in 2018-19, won its first GNAC regular-season title in 2017-18 and its first GNAC conference tournament championship in 2018-19. Allen played collegiately at Treasure Valley Community College and Lewis-Clark State before finishing her Bachelor’s degree in communications at Boise State.   As a high school player Allen was a USA Today honorable mention All-American, McDonald’s honorable mention All-American, first-team all-conference, first-team all-state and three-time team MVP.  She is in the Skyview High School hall of fame for basketball and track and field. She also had a successful career both at the junior college and NAIA Division I level. At TVCC she currently holds three different assist records. At Lewis-Clark State College she played a large role and helped lead her team to the NAIA National Tournament. Following her playing career, Allen got her start on the sidelines as the head girls junior varsity coach at Skyview for two seasons, then was an assistant coach for the girls basketball team for one more season at Vallivue High School. Elpidia is married to Chris Allen and the couple have two sons, Jayce and Jordan.