Player of the Year Sydney Moss of Thomas More College headlines 2016 WBCA NCAA Division III Coaches' All-America Team

ATLANTA (March 18, 2016) – For the third-straight year, Sydney Moss of Thomas More College in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, is the 2016 WBCA NCAA Division III Player of the Year and headlines the 2016 WBCA NCAA Division III All-America Team, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced today.

Moss, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, started in 26 games for the top-ranked, undefeated Saints (31-0), as they captured their 10th-straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship. During those 26 games, she led the team in scoring with 21.8 points per game and rebounding with 7.2 rebounds per game. She also became the PAC’s all-time leading scorer against Saint Vincent College on February 20th.

Through conference play, Moss earned PAC Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the third straight season and first team All-PAC. She led the PAC in scoring with 21.3 points per game and averaged 6.6 rebounds per game.

The St. Albans, West Virginia, native, was named Great Lakes Player of the Year and First Team All-Great Lakes for a third-straight season from D3hoops.com.

Moss will be participating in the 14th annual “So You Want To Be A Coach” program this year in conjunction with the WBCA Convention in Indianapolis.

Moss will be hoping to lead the Saints as they play Amherst College in the Final Four of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Saturday, March 19th.

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 Sydney as the 2016 WBCA NCAA Division III Player of the Year,"” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “Sydney has played an integral role in guiding her team to an extraordinary season, and is very deserving of this distinguished honor.  The WBCA applauds Sydney 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 NCAA DIII Coaches’ All-America Team are as follows:

Name Institution Year Pos. Height
Shannon Brady Bowdoin College Senior Forward/Center 6’0”
Shalette Brown Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Senior Forward 5’10”
Kelecia Harris Albright College Senior Center 6’0”
Kaitlin Langer University of St. Thomas Junior Center 6’3”
Maura McAfee Hope College Senior Forward 6’0”
KC McConnell Whitworth University Senior Guard 5’7”
Sydney Moss Thomas More College Senior Guard 5’10”
Lisa Murphy Carnegie Mellon University Junior Center 6’1”
Michela North Tufts University Junior Center 6’2”
Michelle Obach University of Texas – Tyler Junior Guard 5’3”

“The 10 members of the 2016 WBCA NCAA Division III 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 Team Honorable Mentions in the NCAA Division III:

Name Institution Year Pos. Height
Eireann Anastasi Delaware Valley University Senior Guard 5’7”
Marajiah Bacon Kean University Freshman Guard 5’3”
Justine Benner George Fox University Senior Forward 6’0”
Annie Bova University of Mount Union Senior Guard 5’5”
Danyel Bradley Howard Payne University Senior Guard 5’5”
Brianne Comden University of Mary Washington Junior Forward 6’0”
Megan Dawe New York University Senior Center 6’0”
Holly Denfeld Milwaukee School of Engineering Junior Forward 6’0”
Kelly Donnelly Skidmore College Sophomore Forward/Guard 5’9”
Ali Doswell Amherst College Junior Guard 5’10”
Marley Giddins Amherst College Senior Forward 5’10”
Jordan Holmes Denison University Junior Center 6’1”
Caitlin Kriesel-Bigler Hendrix College Senior Guard 5’5”
Alexandra Leslie University of Rochester Sophomore Center 6’2”
Moran Lonning Luther College Senior Guard 5’6”
Amanda Martinez Washington University Senior Forward 5’11”
Kate Matthews Rowan University Senior Center 6’0”
Katie McDaniels Wheaton College (Ill.) Junior Guard 5’6”
Allison McKenna State University of New York at Geneseo Senior Center 6’2”
Allie Miceli  University of Wisconsin -Stevens Point Senior Forward 5’10”
Sarah Payonk University of Scranton Junior Forward 6’0”
Lyteshia Price State University College at Oneonta Senior Forward 5’10”
Mackenzie Puckett Maryville College (Tenn.) Senior Forward 5’11”
Jill Ritrosky Eastern Connecticut State University Senior Forward 5’9”
Taylor Schmidt University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh Junior Guard 5’6”
Kaitlin Schullstrom Rowan University  Senior Guard 5’7”
Emily Sheldon University of Puget Sound Senior Guard 5’11”
Sara Tarbert Stevenson University Junior Forward 6’1”
Brandi Vallely Muhlenberg College Sophomore Guard 5’7”
Anais Weatherly Guilford College Junior Forward 5’11

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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.

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