ATLANTA (March 15, 2016) – Kristina King of Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida, is the 2016 WBCA Junior/Community College Player of the Year and headlines the 2016 WBCA Junior/Community College Coaches’ All-America Team, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today.
King, a 6-foot-3 sophomore forward, helped the Lady Commodores capture the 2016 Region VIII State Championship against Northwest Florida State College, scoring a game-high 24 points. The Commodores advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament with the win. Gulf Coast is 28-1 on the season and went 11-1 in conference play.
King has started in all 29 games this season, leading the Lady Commodores with 18.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. She has also averaged 2.1 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.4 assists per game in her sophomore campaign.
During her two seasons as a member of the Lady Commodores, King has accumulated many awards and recognitions. She was named the 2016 Panhandle Conference Player of the Year and was selected to the Panhandle All-Conference Team for the second time. She was voted to the FCSAA/NJCAA Region VIII All-Tournament Team and the WBCA Junior/Community College Coaches’ All-American Team as a freshman.
King will help lead the Lady Commodores to the NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament where they face Georgia Highlands in the second round on Tuesday, March 15.
The WBCA presents the player of the year award annually to the top player in five WBCA membership divisions (NCAA Divisions II, III, NAIA, junior/community college and high school).
“The WBCA is delighted to name Kristina as the 2016 WBCA Junior/Community College Player of the Year,"” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Kristina has played an integral role in guiding her team to an extraordinary season, and is very deserving of this distinguished honor. The WBCA applauds Kristina for her hard work, dedication and contributions to the game during the 2015-16 season.”
The 10-member team was selected by a vote of the selection committee. The committee is composed of one representative from each of the nine geographical regions and a chairperson. The members of the 2016 WBCA Junior/Community College Coaches’ All-America Team are as follows:
| Name | Institution | Year | Pos. | Height |
| Audrey-Ann Caron-Goudreau | Gulf Coast State College | Sophomore | Forward | 6’3” |
| Jemia Carpenter | Illinois Central College | Sophomore | Forward | 5’10” |
| Nachalie Dejesus | Miami-Dade College | Sophomore | Guard | 5’7” |
| Autumn Jones | Moberly Area Community College | Freshman | Guard | 5’8” |
| Kristina King | Gulf Coast State College | Sophomore | Forward | 6’3” |
| Sawyer Kluge | Umpqua Community College | Sophomore | Guard | 5’10” |
| Sara Lytle | Northwest Mississippi Community College | Sophomore | Forward | 5’10” |
| Caylinne Martin | McLennan Community College | Sophomore | Center | 6’3” |
| De’Angela Mathis | Florida State College at Jacksonville | Sophomore | Forward | 6’0” |
| Erica Nelson | Johnson County Community College | Sophomore | Guard | 5’8” |
“The 10 members of the 2016 WBCA Junior/Community College Coaches’ All-America Team are well deserving of this recognition, and the WBCA congratulates them for their accomplishments this season,” said 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.”
The following have been recognized as Coaches’ All-America Honorable Mentions in the junior/community college division:
| Name | Institution | Year | Pos. | Height |
| Mikayla Blount | Temple College | Freshman | Guard | 5’7” |
| Kayla Carter | Georgia Highlands College | Sophomore | Guard | 5’7” |
| Samia Carter | Cincinnati State Technical & Community College | Sophomore | Guard | 5’4” |
| Jordan Coleman | Irvine Valley College | Sophomore | Guard | 5’7” |
| Kamiron Luptak | Fort Scott Community College | Sophomore | Guard | 5’6” |
| LaNeique Nealey | Angelina College | Freshman | Forward | 5’10” |
| Demi Read | Frank Phillips College | Sophomore | Forward | 5’10” |
| Rachel Slaney | Madison College | Freshman | Guard | 5’11” |
| Tayla Taylor | McLennan Community College | Sophomore | Forward | 6’1” |
| Merveilles Tshitenge | Redlands Community College | Sophomore | Forward | 5’10” |
| Romekia Wallace | Moberly Area Community College | Freshman | 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 as a sport for women and girls. For more information on the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.
-WBCA-