WAC Women’s Basketball Postseason Honorees Announced
DENVER – The 2020-21 All-WAC teams have been named, following a vote of the WAC's nine head coaches. California Baptist's Ane Olaeta was named WAC Player of the Year while the Lancers' head coach Jarrod Olson was named WAC Coach of the Year. Seattle U's Bree Calhoun earned WAC Defensive Player of the Year and Grand Canyon's Katie Scott picked up a pair of honors as she was named the WAC Newcomer of the Year and WAC Freshman of the Year.
A 5-4 senior guard from Gernika-Lumo, Spain, Olaeta ended the year atop the league in assists as she posted a nation-leading 7.9 helpers per game leading to a WAC-best assist to turnover ratio of 2.7. She was also top-10 among the conference in steals (4th, 2.3), field goal percentage (10th, .423) and three point percentage (10th, .342). This year also marks the first time that Olaeta has been named First Team All-WAC after garnering Second Team All-WAC honors the last two seasons.
Olson was named WAC Coach of the Year in his eighth season at the helm for the Lancers. He led the Lancers to a perfect 22-0 record in the regular season, becoming the first coach to do so in WAC history. Under Olson, CBU went 14-0 in league play and captured a regular-season WAC title and the top seed at the 2021 Hercules Tires WAC Tournament. Olson's coaching career began at Emporia State where he was a graduate assistant in 1998. Before landing in Riverside, California, Olson also coached the Otago Breakers of the WNBL in New Zealand and served as an assistant at Creighton. Most recently, he spent six season as the head coach of Florida Southern.
Calhoun, a 5-6 junior guard from Granada Hills, Calif., earned WAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after posting a conference-best 3.4 steals per game on the season. Her efforts also helped the Redhawks finish second in the conference in steals per game (10.1) and fourth in turnover margin (+2.08). Calhoun also posted the high mark for steals in a single game this season with seven in SU's season opener.
Scott, a 6-2 freshman center from Carl Junction, Missouri, burst on to conference scene as she was named the WAC Freshman of the Year and WAC Newcomer of the year to go along with her First Team All-WAC selection. The former Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year finished the season as the league's best scorer, averaging 16.5 points per game. She also led the conference in three-point percentage (.489) while finishing second in field goal percentage (.663).
For the fourth time since 2000, just three different schools make up the All-WAC first team. Alongside CBU's Ane Olaeta is fellow Lancer Britney Thomas. Meanwhile, GCU's Katie Scott and Utah Valley's Maria Carvalho and Josie Williams claim the remaining spots.
The All-WAC second team includes Grand Canyon's Tiarra Brown, UT Rio Grande Valley's Amara Graham, California Baptist's Caitlyn Harper, NM State's Aaliyah Prince and Seattle U's McKenzi Williams.
The All-Defensive team had representatives from five different schools as GCU's Taylor Caldwell and SU's Bree Calhoun were joined by Carvalho of Utah Valley, Prince of NM State and CBU's Thomas.
The All-Newcomer Team is made up of California Baptist's Nicole Avila-Ambrosi, Seattle U's Calhoun, Utah Valley's Shay Fano and GCU teammates Brown and Scott.
2020-21 All-WAC Teams
First Team All-WAC
| Maria Carvalho#^ |
Utah Valley |
G |
5-8 |
Jr. |
Lisbon, Portugal (Escola Secundaria de Vagos) |
| Ane Olaeta## |
California Baptist |
G |
5-4 |
Sr. |
Gernika-Lumo, Spain (Gernika-Lumo) |
| Katie Scott |
Grand Canyon |
C |
6-2 |
Fr. |
Carl Junction, Mo. (Carl Junction) |
| Britney Thomas*^ |
California Baptist |
F |
6-1 |
Sr. |
San Jacinto, Calif. (Mt. San Jacinto College) |
| Josie Williams |
Utah Valley |
F |
6-5 |
Jr. |
West Haven, Utah (Roy) |
Second Team All-WAC
| Tiarra Brown |
Grand Canyon |
G |
5-10 |
Fr. |
Spanaway, Wash. (Bethel) |
| Amara Graham# |
UT Rio Grande Valley |
G |
5-6 |
Jr. |
Chicago, Ill. (Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep) |
| Caitlyn Harper |
California Baptist |
F |
6-1 |
So. |
Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead) |
| Aaliyah Prince |
NM State |
G |
5-8 |
Sr. |
San Antonio, Texas (Highland) |
| McKenzi Williams |
Seattle U |
G |
5-5 |
Jr. |
Auburn, Wash. (Riverside) |
All-Defensive Team
| Taylor Caldwell |
Grand Canyon |
G |
5-10 |
So. |
Bakersfield, Calif. (Bakersfield) |
| Bree Calhoun |
Seattle U |
G |
5-6 |
Jr. |
Granada Hills, Calif. (Bishop Alemany) |
| Maria Carvalho#^ |
Utah Valley |
G |
5-8 |
Jr. |
Lisbon, Portugal (Escola Secundaria de Vagos) |
| Aaliyah Prince |
NM State |
G |
5-8 |
Sr. |
San Antonio, Texas (Highland) |
| Britney Thomas*^ |
California Baptist |
F |
6-1 |
Sr. |
San Jacinto, Calif. (Mt. San Jacinto College) |
All-Newcomer Team
| Nicole Avila-Ambrosi |
California Baptist |
G |
5-9 |
Fr. |
Omaha, Neb. (Millard North) |
| Tiarra Brown |
Grand Canyon |
G |
5-10 |
Fr. |
Spanaway, Wash. (Bethel) |
| Bree Calhoun |
Seattle U |
G |
5-6 |
Jr. |
Granada Hills, Calif. (Bishop Alemany) |
| Shay Fano |
Utah Valley |
F |
6-0 |
So. |
Spanish Fork, Utah (Southern Utah) |
| Katie Scott |
Grand Canyon |
C |
6-2 |
Fr. |
Carl Junction, Mo. (Carl Junction) |
Player of the Year: Ane Olaeta, Sr., G, California Baptist
Defensive Player of the Year: Bree Calhoun, G, Seattle U
Newcomer of the Year: Katie Scott, Fr., C, Grand Canyon
Freshman of the Year: Katie Scott, C, Grand Canyon
Coach of the Year: Jarrod Olson, California Baptist
Honorable Mention All-WAC: Sara Bershers, UT Rio Grande Valley; Bree Calhoun, Seattle U; Iyana Dorsey, Tarleton; Rodrea Echols, NM State; Marissa Escamilla, Tarleton; Shay Fano, Utah Valley; Soufia Inoussa, NM State; Laura Piera, Grand Canyon; Nehaa Sohail, Utah Valley
*Indicates Previous First Team All-WAC Selection
#Indicates Previous Second Team All-WAC Selection
^Indicates Previous All-Defensive Team Selection