DENVER — The
2012-13 All-WAC teams have been named, following a vote of the WAC’s 10 head
coaches. Seattle U’s Kacie Sowell headlines the awards, earning WAC
Player of the Year honors.
Sowell
leads the WAC with 14 double-doubles this season. In league games, she led the
WAC in field goal percentage (56.3), ranked third in rebounding (9.9), fifth in
scoring (16.0) and eighth in steals (2.0). A two-time WAC Player of the Week,
Sowell ranked fifth nationally in field goal percentage in the most recent NCAA
statistics.
Seattle
U’s Sylvia Shephard earned the WAC Defensive Player of the Year honor,
which was added in 2008. In 18 WAC games, the junior guard nabbed five steals
three times, four steals twice and had three steals five times. Shephard is the
anchor of the Seattle U defense that led the league and ranks sixth nationally
in steals per game.
New
Mexico State’s Stefanie Gilbreath earned WAC Newcomer of the Year honors
after scoring in double figures in all 18 WAC games. In WAC games, she ranked
third in the conference in scoring (19.4) and three-pointers per game (2.44),
fifth in free throw percentage (83.3), ninth in blocks (0.94) and 12th in
rebounding (7.3).
Seattle
U head coach Joan Bonvicini was named WAC Coach of the Year after
leading the Redhawks to the regular-season title with a 15-3 mark. One of 30
finalists for the Naismith College Women’s Coach of the Year, this is her fifth
conference coach of the year award, as she earned the honor at Long Beach State
(1981, 1984, 1986) and at Arizona (1998). Bonvicini was named Independent Coach
of the Year in 2011-12 and was named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year in 1981.
Five
different schools are represented on the first team. Joining Sowell are Idaho’s
Alyssa Charlston, Utah State’s Devyn Christensen, San Jose
State’s Ta’Rea Cunnigan and Texas State’s Diamond Ford.
The
All-WAC second teamers are Gilbreath, Shephard, Whitney Frazier of
Louisiana Tech, Utah State’s Jennifer Schlott and Emiko Smith of
Denver.
The
All-WAC third team consists of Stacey Barr of Idaho, San Jose State’s Riana
Byrd, Jenna Johnson of Utah State, UTSA’s Kamra King and Brittany
Lewis of Louisiana Tech.
Shephard
headlines the All-Defensive team and is joined by Byrd, Johnson, Seattle U’s Daidra
Brown and Denver’s Maiya Michel.
The
All-Freshman team contains five players from five different teams, including
Byrd, Kailey Edwards of Denver, Texas State’s Erin Peoples, Lulu
Perry of Louisiana Tech and Idaho’s Christina Salvatore.
The complete WAC all-conference teams and
additional honors follow.
First Team All-WAC
| Alyssa
Charlston |
Idaho |
P |
6-1 |
Jr. |
Sammamish, Wash. (Eastlake) |
| Devyn Christensen |
Utah State |
G |
5-6 |
Sr. |
Caldwell, Idaho (Vallivue) |
| Ta’Rea Cunnigan |
San Jose State |
G |
5-9 |
So. |
Winchester, Calif. (Chaparral) |
| Diamond Ford |
Texas State |
G |
5-9 |
Sr. |
Houston, Texas (Hightower) |
| Kacie Sowell |
Seattle U |
P |
6-2 |
Jr. |
Ventura, Calif. (Buena) |
Second Team All-WAC
| Whitney
Frazier |
Louisiana Tech |
F |
6-0 |
So. |
El Dorado, Ark. (El Dorado) |
| Stefanie Gilbreath |
New Mexico State |
G |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Katy, Texas (Cinco Ranch) |
| Jennifer Schlott |
Utah State |
G |
5-6 |
Jr. |
Mesa, Ariz. (Mountain View) |
| Sylvia Shephard |
Seattle U |
G |
5-10 |
Jr. |
Alta Loma, Calif. (Alta Loma) |
| Emiko Smith |
Denver |
G |
5-5 |
Sr. |
Los Angeles, Calif. (Windward School) |
Third Team All-WAC
| Stacey
Barr |
Idaho |
G |
5-8 |
So. |
Melbourne, Australia
(Maribyrnong) |
| Riana Byrd |
San Jose State |
F |
6-1 |
Fr. |
Richmond, Calif. (Inderkum) |
| Jenna Johnson |
Utah State |
G |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Wasilla, Alaska (Wasilla) |
| Kamra King |
UTSA |
G |
5-6 |
So. |
Norman, Okla. (Norman) |
| Brittany Lewis |
Louisiana Tech |
F |
6-2 |
Sr. |
Orange Park, Fla. (Fleming Island) |
All-Defensive Team
| Daidra
Brown |
Seattle U |
G |
5-6 |
Sr. |
Seattle, Wash. (John F. Kennedy
Catholic) |
| Riana Byrd |
San Jose State |
F |
6-1 |
Fr. |
Richmond, Calif. (Inderkum) |
| Jenna Johnson |
Utah State |
G |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Wasilla, Alaska (Wasilla) |
| Maiya Michel |
Denver |
F |
5-11 |
Jr. |
Loma Linda, Calif. (Summit) |
| Sylvia Shephard |
Seattle U |
G |
5-10 |
Jr. |
Alta Loma, Calif. (Alta Loma) |
All-Freshman Team
| Riana
Byrd |
San Jose State |
F |
6-1 |
Richmond, Calif. (Inderkum) |
| Kailey Edwards |
Denver |
G |
5-9 |
Broomfield, Colo. (Legacy) |
| Erin Peoples |
Texas State |
F |
6-0 |
Little Rock, Ark. (Parkview) |
| Lulu Perry |
Louisiana Tech |
G |
5-6 |
Benton, La. (Benton) |
| Christina Salvatore |
Idaho |
G |
5-11 |
Anaheim, Calif. (Canyon) |
Player of the Year: Kacie Sowell, Seattle U
Defensive Player of the Year: Sylvia Shephard, Seattle U
Newcomer of the Year: Stefanie Gilbreath, New Mexico State
Coach of the Year: Joan Bonvicini, Seattle U