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.