DALLAS – 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 Saturday.
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:
PLAYERSCHOOLYEARPOSITION
Kalani BrownBaylorSophomoreCenter
Napheesa CollierConnecticutSophomoreForward
Kelsey MitchellOhio StateJuniorGuard
Chantel OsahorWashingtonSeniorForward
Alexis PetersonSyracuseSeniorGuard
Kelsey PlumWashingtonSeniorGuard
Katie Lou SamuelsonConnecticutSophomoreGuard
Brianna TurnerNotre DameJuniorForward
Gabby WilliamsConnecticutJuniorForward
A'ja WilsonSouth CarolinaJuniorForward
Here are the student-athletes who received 2017 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America honorable mention:
NAMEINSTITUTIONYEARPOSITION
Evelyn AkhatorKentuckySeniorForward
Lindsay AllenNotre DameSeniorGuard
Kristine AnigweCaliforniaSophomoreForward, Center
Ariel AtkinsTexasJuniorGuard
Monique BillingsUCLAJuniorForward
Allazia BlocktonMarquetteSophomoreGuard
Lexie BrownDukeJuniorGuard
Sophie BrunnerArizona StateSeniorForward
Tyra BussIndianaJuniorGuard
Jordin CanadaUCLAJuniorGuard
Alaina CoatesSouth CarolinaSeniorCenter
Nia CoffeyNorthwesternSeniorForward
Sophie CunninghamMissouriSophomoreGuard
Nina DavisBaylorSeniorForward
Diamond DeShieldsTennesseeSeniorGuard
Asia DurrLouisvilleSophomoreGuard
Makayla EppsKentuckySeniorGuard
Feyonda FitzgeraldTempleSeniorGuard
Katelynn FlahertyMichiganJuniorGuard
Rebecca GreenwellDukeJuniorGuard
Myisha Hines-AllenLouisvilleJuniorForward
Tori JankoskaMichigan StateSeniorGuard
Jessica JanuaryDePaulSeniorGuard
Brionna JonesMarylandGrad StudentCenter
Kitija LaksaSouth FloridaSophomoreForward
Breanna LewisKansas StateSeniorCenter
Tynice MartinWest VirginiaSophomoreGuard
Erica McCallStanfordSeniorForward
Brooke McCartyTexasJuniorGuard
Arike OgunbowaleNotre DameSophomoreGuard
Teniya PagePenn StateSophomoreGuard
Leticia RomeroFlorida StateSeniorGuard
Mercedes RussellTennesseeSeniorCenter
Karlie SamuelsonStanfordSeniorGuard
Brooke SchulteDePaulSeniorGuard
Brittney SykesSyracuseGrad StudentGuard
Shakayla ThomasFlorida StateJuniorForward
Victoria ViviansMississippi StateJuniorGuard
Shatori Walker-KimbroughMarylandSeniorGuard
Lizzy WendellDrakeSeniorForward
Sydney WieseOregon StateSeniorGuard
Ronni WilliamsFloridaSeniorForward