Wade Trophy winner Kelsey Plum of Washington headlines 2017 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-American team

 

DALLAS (April 1, 2017) – Kelsey Plum of the University of Washington is the winner of the 2017 Wade Trophy and headlines the 2017 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced this evening.

The prestigious Wade Trophy, regarded as "The Heisman of Women's Basketball," is presented annually to the NCAA Division I Player of the Year by the WBCA.

Plum concluded a historic career as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer with 3,527 career points. She scored 1,109 points this season alone, also an NCAA single-season record. Both performances eclipsed records held by Missouri State standout Jackie Stiles that had stood for 16 years.  Plum, a 5-foot-8 guard from Poway, California, also set the NCAA career free throw record, which had stood for 33 years, with 912.

In her final game – a 75-64 loss to Mississippi State in the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 last Friday in Oklahoma City – Plum also broke the 33-year-old NCAA career free throw record. She has 912 in her career.

"On behalf of the WBCA, I am honored to present women’s basketball’s highest honor, the Wade Trophy, to Kelsey Plum," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "Kelsey had a historic season and elevated the game to an exciting new level. Each contest showcased her remarkable skill and ability to produce results while bettering her teammates, representing Washington with class, captivating fans, and influencing the next generation of student-athletes.”

The Wade Trophy — now in its 40th year — is the oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award in college women’s basketball. It is named in honor of the late, legendary Delta State University head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen. First awarded in 1978 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), now known as SHAPE America, the The Wade Trophy has been presented to the WBCA NCAA Division I National Player of the Year since 2001.

Here are the 2017 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-Americans:

Name

Institution

Year

Position

 

Kalani Brown

Baylor

Sophomore

Center

 

Napheesa Collier

Connecticut

Sophomore

Forward

 

Kelsey Mitchell

Ohio State

Junior

Guard

 

Chantel Osahor

Washington

Senior

Forward

 

Alexis Peterson

Syracuse

Senior

Guard

 

Kelsey Plum

Washington

Senior

Guard

 

Katie Lou Samuelson

Connecticut

Sophomore

Guard

 

Brianna Turner

Notre Dame

Junior

Forward

 

Gabby Williams

Connecticut

Junior

Forward

 

A’ja Wilson

South Carolina

Junior

Forward

 

           

Here are the student-athletes who received 2017 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America honorable mention:

Name

Institution

Year

Position

 

Evelyn Akhator

Kentucky

Senior

Forward

 

Lindsay Allen

Notre Dame

Senior

Guard

 

Kristine Anigwe

California

Sophomore

Forward, Center

 

Ariel Atkins

Texas

Junior

Guard

 

Monique Billings

UCLA

Junior

Forward

 

Allazia Blockton

Marquette

Sophomore

Guard

 

Lexie Brown

Duke

Junior

Guard

 

Sophie Brunner

Arizona State

Senior

Forward

 

Tyra Buss

Indiana

Junior

Guard

 

Jordin Canada

UCLA

Junior

Guard

 

Alaina Coates

South Carolina

Senior

Center

 

Nia Coffey

Northwestern

Senior

Forward

 

Sophie Cunningham

Missouri

Sophomore

Guard

 

Nina Davis

Baylor

Senior

Forward

 

Diamond DeShields

Tennessee

Senior

Guard

 

Asia Durr

Louisville

Sophomore

Guard

 

Makayla Epps

Kentucky

Senior

Guard

 

Feyonda Fitzgerald

Temple

Senior

Guard

 

Katelynn Flaherty

Michigan

Junior

Guard

 

Rebecca Greenwell

Duke

Junior

Guard

 

Myisha Hines-Allen

Louisville

Junior

Forward

 

Tori Jankoska

Michigan State

Senior

Guard

 

Jessica January

DePaul

Senior

Guard

 

Brionna Jones

Maryland

Grad Student

Center

 

Kitija Laksa

South Florida

Sophomore

Forward

 

Breanna Lewis

Kansas State

Senior

Center

 

Tynice Martin

West Virginia

Sophomore

Guard

 

Erica McCall

Stanford

Senior

Forward

 

Brooke McCarty

Texas

Junior

Guard

 

Arike Ogunbowale

Notre Dame

Sophomore

Guard

 

Teniya Page

Penn State

Sophomore

Guard

 

Leticia Romero

Florida State

Senior

Guard

 

Mercedes Russell

Tennessee

Senior

Center

 

Karlie Samuelson

Stanford

Senior

Guard

 

Brooke Schulte

DePaul

Senior

Guard

 

Brittney Sykes

Syracuse

Grad Student

Guard

 

Shakayla Thomas

Florida State

Junior

Forward

 

Victoria Vivians

Mississippi State

Junior

Guard

 

Shatori Walker-Kimbrough

Maryland

Senior

Guard

 

Lizzy Wendell

Drake

Senior

Forward

 

Sydney Wiese

Oregon State

Senior

Guard

 

Ronni Williams

Florida

Senior

Forward

 

             

About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit www.WBCA.org for more details about the Association.

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