ATLANTA (April 2, 2016) - Five players competing in the NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four are represented on the 2016 WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team, which the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced today in a ceremony held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse during the 2016 NCAA® Women's Final Four® Super Saturday festivities.
The 10-member team was decided from a group of 52 finalists by the selection committee at an in-person meeting held during the 2016 WBCA National Convention.
Here are the members of the 2016 WBCA Division I Coaches' All-America Team:
|
Name |
Institution |
Year |
Pos. |
Height |
|
Nina Davis |
Baylor |
Junior |
Forward |
5’11” |
|
Moriah Jefferson |
Connecticut |
Senior |
Guard |
5’7” |
|
Kelsey Mitchell |
Ohio State |
Sophomore |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Kelsey Plum |
Washington |
Junior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Breanna Stewart |
Connecticut |
Senior |
Forward |
6’4” |
|
Morgan Tuck |
Connecticut |
Senior |
Forward |
6’2” |
|
Brianna Turner |
Notre Dame |
Sophomore |
Forward |
6’3” |
|
Jamie Weisner |
Oregon State |
Senior |
Guard |
5’10” |
|
A’ja Wilson |
South Carolina |
Sophomore |
Forward |
6’5” |
|
Courtney Williams |
South Florida |
Senior |
Guard |
5’8” |
“The 10 members of the 2016 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team are well deserving of this recognition, and the WBCA congratulates them for their accomplishments this season,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “These young women have worked to elevate themselves and their teams to an elite level and through their exceptional talents on the basketball court, they have lifted the women’s game.”
This is the 42nd year of the WBCA Coaches' All-America program, which began in 1975. Once again all 10 members of the team were present to be honored in person during the ceremony. Remarkably, in the 42-year history of the program, none of the 420 Coaches' All-Americans thus far honored have failed to appear for the announcement.
Nina Davis. Davis was selected to the WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America team for the second-straight season. Davis helped lead Baylor to their sixth-straight Big 12 Championship and a 36-2 record overall. Davis leads the team in scoring on the season with 16.1 points per game and grabs 6.1 rebounds a game. She earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Conference first-team selection for the third-straight season. The Memphis, Tennessee, native has scored in double figures in 32 games this season.
Moriah Jefferson. Jefferson was an anchor for Connecticut’s defense while also running point for the nation’s top scoring team. The senior guard produced a league-leading 2.7 steals per game as well as a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio average. Jefferson has played an integral defensive role for the top-ranked Huskies only allowing their opponents to score a national-low 48.2 points per outing. On the year, she leads the American Athletic Conference in steals (93) and assists (192). The Glenn Heights, Texas, native averaged 12.6 points in 30.5 minutes per game and was one of six Huskies shooting over 50 percent from the floor (56.0). She is sixth in the nation for her 2.91 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell is one of three sophomores named to the WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team. She was a source of efficiency for Ohio State leading them all the way to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. In 34 games this season, Mitchell led the team in points per game (26.1) and steals (1.71). The Cincinnati, Ohio, native was named first team All-Big Ten Conference for the second-straight season.
Kelsey Plum. Plum had a stellar junior campaign after leading Washington to its first NCAA Final Four with a 26-10 record overall. This season Plum set the Pac-12 record for free throws made. She became the fastest player in Pac-12 history to 2,000 career points, accomplishing the feat in 88 games. The junior guard is currently tied for third in the nation in scoring at 26.2 points per game. She also contributes 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Breanna Stewart. Stewart has helped lead the Huskies to their ninth straight Final Four, entering the Final Four with a perfect 36-0 record. She also assisted the program in claiming the American Athletic Conference regular season championship and conference tournament title for the second straight season. UConn has not lost a conference game since joining the AAC. Through their undefeated run, Stewart led the team with 19.3 points and 8.71 rebounds per game. She posted a total of 123 blocked shots this season, which ranks fourth in the nation, while her 3.51 blocks per game also ranks fourth in the nation. Stewart has posted 18 20-point games and 16 double-double performances this season. The North Syracuse, New York, native was named the AAC Player of the Year for the third-straight season and the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. Stewart became UConn’s all-time leader in rejections with 411 career blocks. The senior forward is the only player in NCAA history to reach 300 blocks and 300 assists, while checking in as the seventh NCAA Division I women’s player with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 200 blocks. Stewart is also the only player in history to be named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player three times.
Morgan Tuck. Tuck has helped guide the University of Connecticut to a perfect 36-0 record entering the 2016 Women’s Final Four. On Dec. 28, Tuck became the 41st Husky to join the 1,000-point club after posting 17 points against Maryland. Tuck was named to the American Athletic Conference First Team and received the AAC Sportsmanship Award. She is second on the team with 13.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Brianna Turner. Turner earned WBCA All-America honors after an amazing sophomore campaign in which she helped lead the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. She guided the Fighting Irish to their third straight Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season and tournament titles, just the second ACC team ever to sweep both titles three years in a row. The sophomore forward was named ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to making All-ACC First Team and ACC Defensive Team accolades for the second-straight season. The Pearland, Texas, native led the Fighting Irish with 88 blocks, 14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Jamie Weisner. Weisner has proven herself to be one of the most efficient players in the nation, posting the best field goal percentage by any guard in the Pac-12, and sitting among the top-10 in the nation in 3-point percentage. The Clarkston, Wash. native has also been one of the best rebounding guards in the country throughout her four years, sitting in Oregon State’s all-time top-eight for career rebounds. Weisner was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year.
A’ja Wilson. Wilson was a steady force for South Carolina as she helped lead the program to its second-straight SEC Tournament title and the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. She ranked among the top five in the SEC in points and rebounds, averaging 16.1 and 8.7 respectively. The SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year recorded a new single-season school record in blocked shots with 103. The Hopkins, South Carolina native is among South Carolina’s single-season top 10 for double-doubles with 14.
Courtney Williams. Williams, the senior guard, earned WBCA All-America honors after leading South Florida to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third time in program history. She set a new NCAA Tournament single-game scoring record by scoring 31 points and scoring 65 percent of her teams points. Williams currently ranks ninth in points per game (22.4) and second in the country with 308 field goals made. Williams set a new program-record with 763 points, the only American Athletic Conference player to surpass the 700-point mark. Also, she was the only player in program history to reach 2,000 points (2,304), 900 rebounds (931) and 300 assists (318). The Folkston, Georgia, native scored in double figures in 33 games and recorded 23 20-point games as well as five 30-point games. Williams was voted to the AAC first-team as well as conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.
2016 WBCA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team Honorable Mentions:
|
Name |
Institution |
Year |
Pos. |
Height |
|
Lindsay Allen |
Notre Dame |
Junior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Jillian Alleyne |
Oregon |
Senior |
Guard |
6’3” |
|
Ameryst Alston |
Ohio State |
Senior |
Guard |
5’9” |
|
Kristine Anigwe |
California-Berkeley |
Freshman |
Forward/Center |
6’4” |
|
Rachel Banham |
Minnesota |
Senior |
Guard |
5’9” |
|
Imani Boyette |
Texas |
Senior |
Center |
6’7” |
|
Sophie Brunner |
Arizona State |
Junior |
Forward |
6’1” |
|
Adut Bulgak |
Florida State |
Senior |
Center |
6’4” |
|
Madison Cable |
Notre Dame |
Senior |
Guard |
5’10” |
|
Alaina Coates |
South Carolina |
Junior |
Center |
6’4” |
|
Nia Coffey |
Northwestern |
Junior |
Forward |
6’1” |
|
Brittany Crain |
UC Riverside |
Senior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Kim Demmings |
Wright State |
Senior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Makayla Epps |
Kentucky |
Junior |
Guard |
5’10” |
|
Temi Fagbenle |
Southern California |
Senior |
Center |
6’4” |
|
Katelynn Flaherty |
Michigan |
Sophomore |
Guard |
5’7” |
|
Nathalie Fontaine |
Ball State |
Senior |
Guard |
6’2” |
|
Jordan Frericks |
Missouri |
Junior |
Forward |
6’1” |
|
Danaejah Grant |
St. John’s |
Senior |
Guard |
5’9” |
|
Ruth Hamblin |
Oregon State |
Senior |
Center |
6’6” |
|
Myisha Hines-Allen |
Louisville |
Sophomore |
Forward |
6’2” |
|
Bria Holmes |
West Virginia |
Senior |
Guard |
6’1” |
|
Chanise Jenkins |
DePaul |
Senior |
Guard |
5’5” |
|
Niya Johnson |
Baylor |
Senior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Alexis Jones |
Baylor |
Junior |
Guard |
5’9” |
|
Brionna Jones |
Maryland |
Junior |
Center |
6’3” |
|
Jonquel Jones |
George Washington |
Senior |
Forward |
6’6” |
|
Brittney Martin |
Oklahoma State |
Senior |
Guard |
6’0” |
|
Kelsey Minato |
Army |
Senior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Tiffany Mitchell |
South Carolina |
Senior |
Guard |
5’9” |
|
Mariya Moore |
Louisville |
Sophomore |
Forward |
6’0” |
|
Adrienne Motley |
Miami (Fla.) |
Junior |
Guard |
5’9” |
|
Aerial Powers |
Michigan State |
Junior |
Forward |
6’0” |
|
Shereesha Richards |
Albany |
Senior |
Forward |
6’1” |
|
April Robinson |
Duquesne |
Senior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Leticia Romero |
Florida State |
Junior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Azurá Stevens |
Duke |
Sophomore |
Forward |
6’6” |
|
Shakayla Thomas |
Florida State |
Sophomore |
Guard |
5’11” |
|
Victoria Vivians |
Mississippi State |
Sophomore |
Guard |
6’1” |
|
Courtney Walker |
Texas A&M |
Senior |
Guard |
5’8” |
|
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough |
Maryland |
Junior |
Guard |
5’11” |
|
Aaliyah Whiteside |
Georgia Tech |
Senior |
Guard/Forward |
6’0” |
###
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as a sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.
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