United Athletic Conference

Complete Release (PDF)

 

Following a vote of athletic directors the last week of December, the Western Athletic Conference has adjusted its game cancelation policy to balance the health and safety of coaches, student-athletes, staff and officials as well as protect the integrity of the conference schedule.

The minimum number of participants for conference play has been set at seven Covid-eligible student-athletes and one Covid-eligible coach. If a team meets the requirement, they will be expected to compete in the contest.

In addition, the WAC has determined that if a game is canceled for Covid-related reasons, administrators from the impacted institutions will work collaboratively to find a mutually agreeable date to reschedule. If they are unable to find a date, the game will be considered a no-contest.

“Ultimately, we wanted to maintain some flexibility as the Covid landscape continues to change,” said WAC commissioner Brian Thornton. “Our biggest goals are to protect the health and safety of our student-athletes and coaches as well as put our programs in the best position to compete in our conference tournament.”

The conference will continue to work with institutional leadership regarding any changes to seeding procedures for the 2022 Hercules Tires WAC Basketball Tournament.

 

The WAC has been far from immune from the far reaches of the newest coronavirus strain. Heading into the scheduled third full week of conference games, the league has rescheduled 12 games. 

 

 

After a trio of make-up games were played on Monday, Jan. 10 the third full week of WAC contests begins with six games on Thursday, Jan. 13 then six more on Saturday, Jan. 15. Currently there are four previously postponed games set to be played on Monday, Jan. 17.

 

Abilene Christian’s Taylor Morgan has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week with California Baptist’s Trinity San Antonio earning Ticketsmarter Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week.

 

Morgan was instrumental in the Wildcat’s road victory against Sam Houston. In her first career start, the guard played all 40 minutes as she scored a career high 21 points. With Abilene Christian down three starters because of Covid-19 protocols, the sophomore also added seven rebounds and a pair of assists with a steal as well. 

 

San Antonio was a one-person wrecking crew in her first career start. Playing 30 minutes, she registered 24 points and seven rebounds during the Lancers 13-point victory against Chicago State. The guard also chipped-in four steals, two assists as well as two blocked shots in California Baptist’s first game in 18 days.

 

Other nominees included: Ane Olaeta played all but three minutes in California Baptist’s home win against Chicago State as she tallied a stat line of nine point, two rebounds and 12 assists with four steals … Taylor Muff started the week with a 15-point, eight game in UT Rio Grande Valley’s road win at Grand Canyon then scored 17 points in a road contest at Texas … Stephanie Visscher helped Stephen F. Austin to a 2-0 conference start with a 14-point, six-rebound, four-assist performance against Tarleton … Tiarra Brown averaged 16 points per game as Grand Canyon split games against UT Rio Grande Valley and Lamar … Quentarra Mitchell had a 21-point, seven-rebound outing in Chicago State’s road setback to California Baptist … Malaya Kendrick registered a nine-point, eight-rebound contest in Tarleton’s game at Stephen F. Austin

 

Other freshman nominees included: KaCee Kyle started both games for UT Rio Grande Valley as she averaged seven points and three rebounds at Grand Canyon and Texas … Ja’Mya Powell-Smith registered 24 total points as Grand Canyon split their week in home games against UT Rio Grande Valley and Lamar  … Bella Earle played 29 minutes in a starting capacity and scored five points with three rebounds in Abilene Christian’s win at Sam Houston … Angel Scott saw 22 minutes of court time as Stephen F. Austin beat Tarleton; notching two assists and a block … Tarleton’s Mason Jones secured a career high three rebounds in five minutes at Stephen F. Austin

 

Stephen F. Austin continues to lead the conference’s scoring efforts as the Ladyjacks are averaging 78.4 points per game. Abilene Christian is just behind them by averging 76 points each time they step onto the floor. Those two teams also rank 1-2 in the league in shooting percentage (45.1-44.0). Stephen F. Austin is the only WAC school to have made at least 400 field goals, as they have connected on 432 jump shots. Behind the arc Abilene Christian has registered a team best best 159 shots made.

 

Defensively, the Ladyjacks have blocked a conference best 5.4 shots per game while Grand Canyon’s 14.4 steals per game tops the WAC competitors. Tarleton has been stout on the defensive side of the court as they are limiting the opposition to a .342 shooting percentage and just 55.1 points per game.

 

The scoring offense of Caitlyn Harper continues to lead all individuals, as she is scoring 18.2 points per game for California Baptist. Bigue Sarr leads the league in shooting. The New Mexico State standout is connecting on .598 percentage of her field goal attempts. Josie Williams is dominating the glass as the Utah Valley product is grabbing 11.7 rebounds a game. Ane Olaeta is dishing out 8.4 assists per game for California Baptist. 

 

The WAC team duo of Stephen F. Austin and Grand Canyon are among the best teams in the country in turning their opponents over. Grand Canyon leads the nation in totals steals (201) and steals per game (14.4) with Stephen F. Austin second in the country with 197 total steals. The Ladyjacks are first in turnover margin (10.07) and third in turnovers forced (25.13). 

 

Sam Houston’s Faith Cook recently broke into the 1,000 career point club in a big way. Needing only four points in the Bearkats game against Arlington Baptist back in December, she scored 24 to become the seventh active member of the 1,000-point club among WAC players. She is the second person this season to achieve the milestone as CBU’s Georgia Dale entered the rarified scoring category in December as well. Aiyana Johnson became the most recent member as she reached the milestone on Saturday and now has 1,034 career points in four seasons at Stephen F. Austin. 

 

Heading into the season, Abilene Christian’s Julie Goodenough already reached the 400-win plateau. In her 26th year as a head coach, she leads the league in most seasons as a head as well as career wins (468). During the first weekend of WAC games, Stephen F. Austin’s Mark Kellogg joined her with 400 career wins. Suzy Barcomb is just three wins shy of her 400th career head coaching win.

 

Following a shortened season, the WAC will return almost all of its stat leaders from the spring. After averaging 16.5 points per game to lead the WAC in scoring in the spring as a part of UT Rio Grande Valley, Amara Graham will return to the court this fall as a Grand Canyon Lope. The WAC’s leader in rebounds per game (8.4) and field goal percentage (66.5) will also be back as California Baptist’s Britney Thomas suits up for her final season as a Lancer. The Lancer roster will also include the top three-point shooter and top assister from the spring 2021 season. CBU’s Sydney Palma shot 44.7 percent from deep to lead the league while Ane Olaeta averaged 7.8 assists per game to finish as the nation’s leader in assists.

 

Josie Williams of Utah Valley will be back on the court for the Wolverines after leading the WAC in blocks per game last season. Seattle U’s Bree Calhoun will also be disrupting WAC offenses once again as she returns after pacing the conference in steals per game at 3.3.

 

California Baptist has been named the favorite to win the 2021-22 women’s basketball title and the Lancers’ Ane Olaeta was selected as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year in a vote of the league’s 13 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.

 

After putting together one of the best seasons in WAC history a season ago, the Lancers earned the top spot with 137 points and six first-place votes in the preseason poll. WAC newcomer Stephen F. Austin was close behind with six first-place votes and a total of 133 points. The Ladyjacks were followed by Grand Canyon who received the remaining first-place vote and 112 points. Utah Valley was slotted in the fourth spot with 106 points while Abilene Christian was selected to finish fifth, garnering 91 points. Sam Houston claimed a total of 86 points as they landed in sixth. NM State came in just behind the Bearkats with 90 points while Lamar was eighth with 63 points. Seattle U captured ninth with 61 points, followed by UT Rio Grande Valley with 54 points. The Tarleton Texans earned 43 points to see themselves picked to finish 11th. Dixie State and Chicago State rounded out the poll, collecting 25 points and 14 points, respectively. 

 

Olaeta is atop the list of Preseason All-WAC honorees. The senior guard is joined on the first team by fellow Lancer Britney Thomas, Stephen F. Austin’s Stephanie Visscher and Zya Nugent, Utah Valley’s Maria Carvalho and Josie Williams, Grand Canyon’s Amara Graham and Lamar’s Micaela Wilson.

 

Second team honors went to UT Rio Grande Valley’s Sara Bershers, Grand Canyon’s Tiarra Brown, Seattle U’s Bree Calhoun and McKenzi Williams, Sam Houston’s Faith Cook, California Baptist’s Caitlyn Harper, Stephen F. Austin’s Aiyana Johnson and Abilene Christian’s Madi Miller.

 

The Western Athletic Conference women’s basketball media have selected California Baptist as the preseason favorite to be named the 2021-22 conference champions while the Lancers’ Ane Olaeta was named WAC Preseason Player of the Year.

 

The Lancers earned the sweep in the polls as they picked up the top spot in the media poll after being selected first overall in the coaches’ poll. CBU was followed by Stephen F. Austin while Utah Valley was picked to finish third in the conference. Grand Canyon was chosen to finish fourth, Sam Houston was fifth and NM State took sixth. The Aggies were followed by Lamar, Abilene Christian, Seattle U, UT Rio Grande Valley, Tarleton, Dixie State and Chicago State.

 

Olaeta leads the group of Preseason All-WAC award getters and is joined by teammate Britney Thomas. Utah Valley’s Maria Carvalho and Josie Williams joined the pair of Lancers while Stephen F. Austin also boasted two first-team members in Aiyana Johnson and Stephanie Visscher. Grand Canyon’s Amara Graham and Lamar’s Micaela Wilson also picked up first-team honors.

 

Second-team selections include Grand Canyon’s Tiarra Brown, Seattle U’s Bree Calhoun, Sam Houston’s Faith Cook, Tarleton’s Marissa Escamilla, California Baptist’s Caitlyn Harper, NM State’s Soufia Inoussa, Abilene Christian’s Madi Miller and Stephen F. Austin’s Zya Nugent.

 

Coming off a year in which the WAC only returned three all-conference players, the WAC will look very familiar this season, returning eight of 10 All-WAC players. From the list of first-team honorees, Utah Valley’s Maria Carvalho and Josie Williams and California Baptist’s Ane Olaeta and Britney Thomas will all be back in action. Also, Grand Canyon’s Tiarra Brown and Amara Graham, California Baptist’s Caitlyn Harper and Seattle U’s McKenzi Williams are returning after earning Second Team All-WAC recognition in the spring.

 

WAC fans will also see four of the five members of the WAC All-Defensive Team back this year as Grand Canyon’s Taylor Caldwell, Seattle U’s Bree Calhoun, Utah Valley’s Carvalho and California Baptist’s Thomas make their way back. Lastly, four WAC All-Newcomer representatives are coming back for the 2021-22 season as California Baptist’s Nicole Avila-Ambrosi, Grand Canyon’s Brown, Seattle U’s Calhoun and Utah Valley’s Shay Fano return

 

With the addition of four schools coming over from the Southland Conference, the WAC also adds four Southland All-Conference selections from last season. Both Lamar’s Micaela Wilson and Stephen F. Austin’s Stephanie Visscher were first-team honorees, while the Ladyjacks Aiyana Johnson and Zya Nugent garnered second team distinction.

 

A TEXAS SIZED ADDITION
After adding Dixie State and Tarleton a season ago, the WAC has expanded once again by adding four Texas schools. Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin all come over to the WAC after spending time in the Southland Conference. Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston and Lamar each finished inside the top four of the Southland’s standings last season. The Ladyjacks also claimed the Southland Conference title as they finished the year with a 24-2 overall record and a near-upset of Georgia Tech in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.

 

 

The WAC will have its fair share of opportunities to shine against top competition this season. The league currently has 10 games against teams that advanced to the 2021 NCAA Tournament and 10 games against teams that participated in the 2021 NIT.

 

The conference will head back to #WACVegas for the 2022 tournament in Las Vegas. The tournament will begin March 8 with a pair of games to be held at Michelob Ultra Arena before the remainder of the tournament heads to Orleans Arena on March 9-12. The tournament will include the top 10 eligible teams.