Texas Tech University Athletics
Pierson, O'Neal Among WBJ Award-Winners
March 13, 2000 | Women's Basketball
March 13, 2000
RALEIGH, N.C. - Two Southeastern Conference stars highlighted the list of award-winners issued by The Women's Basketball Journal. Kelly Miller, Georgia's standout junior guard, was tabbed as the 1999-2000 WBJ National Player of the Year, and Mississippi State's LaToya Thomas was named the Freshman of the Year by the newspaper's editors.
"We depend on Kelly for so many things," noted Georgia head coach Andy Landers. "She obviously has the ability to run the team from the point guard position, but she goes way beyond that.
"There aren't many point guards who are counted on to rebound. The great thing about Kelly is that if we tell her before a game that we need her to rebound, she'll go out and get eight, nine or 10 rebounds for us. I can't tell you how many times we've told the team during a timeout, 'We have to get a rebound,' or 'We have to make a deflection,' and then Kelly would go out and do it for us. It's like dial-a-request with Kelly."
Rene Portland, who guided Penn State to its first outright Big Ten title this season, was named the WBJ National Coach of the Year. In addition, Tennessee's Semeka Randall was chosen as the National Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.
The Women's Basketball Journal has covered the sport on all levels for the past three years.
- Player of the Year: Kelly Miller, Jr., G, Georgia
- Coach of the Year: Rene Portland, Penn State
- Freshman of the Year: LaToya Thomas, F, Mississippi State
- Defensive Player of the Year: Semeka Randall, Jr., G, Tennessee
WBJ Defensive All-Americans
These 10 players were named the best defenders of the country following an informal poll of Division I head coaches from across the country. Tennessee's Semeka Randall was tabbed as the nation's finest defensive player for the second consecutive year, edging out Tamicha Jackson of Louisiana Tech for the honor.| Player | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | School |
| Erin Batth | Jr. | C | 6-4 | Clemson |
| Peppi Browne | Sr. | F | 5-11 | Duke |
| Helen Darling | Sr. | G | 5-7 | Penn State |
| Tamicha Jackson | Sr. | G | 5-6 | La. Tech |
| Nicole Kubik | Sr. | G | 5-10 | Nebraska |
| Katrisa O'Neal | Jr. | G | 5-6 | Texas Tech |
| Semeka Randall | Jr. | G | 5-10 | Tennessee |
| Ruth Riley | Jr. | C | 6-5 | Notre Dame |
| Stacey Thomas | Sr. | G | 5-10 | Michigan |
| Shaquala Williams | So. | G | 5-6 | Oregon |
WBJ Freshmen All-Americans
Here are the Top 10 freshmen in the nation during the 1999-2000 season according to the WBJ editors. LaToya Thomas, who keyed Mississippi State's tremendous season, was an overwhelming choice as America's top freshman.| Player | Pos. | Ht. | School | Hometown | Key Statistics |
| Jamie Carey | G | 5-6 | Stanford | Thornton, Colo. | 10.8 pts., 3.0 assists, 2.0 reb., 43.5 FG%, 46.9 3FG% |
| Schuye LaRue | F | 6-3 | Virginia | Washington, D.C. | 14.6 pts., 8.0 reb., 59.2 FG% |
| Kara Lawson | G | 5-9 | Tennessee | Springfield, Va. | 14.1 pts., 4.3 reb., 2.8 assists, 47.4 FG%, 45.6 3FG%, 81.8 FT% |
| Kristin Koetsier | C | 6-3 | Western Mich. | Grandville, Mich. | 18.8 pts., 9.5 reb., 1.7 assists, 52.5 FG%, 80.1 FT% |
| Plenette Pierson | F | 6-1 | Texas Tech | Kingwood, Tex. | 13.8 pts., 6.9 reb., 53.2 FG% |
| Alicia Ratay | G | 5-11 | Notre Dame | Lake Zurich, Ill. | 15.1 pts., 5.1 reb., 2.3 assists, 51.5 FG%, 49.2 3FG%, 82.4 FT% |
| Kate Smith | C | 6-2 | Nevada | Reno, Nev. | 19.1 pts., 8.0 reb., 1.6 assists, 49.2 FG% |
| LaToya Thomas | F | 6-2 | Miss. State | Greenville, Miss. | 20.7 pts., 7.8 reb., 56.8 FG% |
| LaToya Turner | F | 6-4 | Ohio State | Pickerington, Ohio | 11.3 pts., 5.9 reb., 48.8 FG% |
| LeCoe Willingham | F | 6-0 | Auburn | Augusta, Ga. | 11.3 pts., 7.6 reb., 49.6 FG% |
1999-2000 WBJ All-Americans
| FIRST TEAM | Cl. | Ht. | College | Hometown | Key Statistics | |||
| F | Tamika Catchings | Jr. | 6-1 | Tennessee | Duncanville, Tex. | 15.5 pts., 7.5 reb., 2.7 assists, 2.6 steals, 46.6 FG% | ||
| F | Shea Ralph | Jr. | 6-0 | Connecticut | Fayetteville, N.C. | 14.7 pts., 5.0 assists, 3.7 reb., 2.6 steals, 63.0 FG%, 80.0 FT% | ||
| C | Ruth Riley | Jr. | 6-5 | Notre Dame | Macy, Ind. | 16.0 pts., 7.1 reb., 2.3 blocks, 61.1 FG%, 81.9 FT% | ||
| G | Edwina Brown | Sr. | 5-10 | Texas | Lockhart, Tex. | 21.5 pts., 8.3 reb., 6.0 assists, 2.9 steals, 47.3 FG% | ||
| G | Kelly Miller | Jr. | 5-10 | Georgia | Rochester, Minn. | 15.4 pts., 4.7 assists, 4.5 reb., 2.2 steals, 44.9 FG%, 81.9 FT% | ||
| SECOND TEAM | Cl. | Ht. | College | Hometown | Key Statistics | |||
| F | Erin Buescher | Jr. | 6-3 | UC-Santa Barbara | Rohnert Park, Calif. | 17.6 pts., 9.5 reb., 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 51.6 FG% | ||
| F | Phylesha Whaley | Sr. | 5-10 | Oklahoma | Slaton, Tex. | 20.6 pts, 8.3 reb., 53.6 FG% | ||
| C | Andrea Garner | Sr. | 6-3 | Penn State | Philadelphia, Pa. | 14.8 pts., 8.6 reb., 2.1 blocks, 47.4 FG% | ||
| G | Grace Daley | Sr. | 5-8 | Tulane | Ocala, Fla. | 21.3 pts., 6.0 reb., 3.9 assists, 2.3 steals, 48.3 FG% | ||
| G | Helen Darling | Sr. | 5-7 | Penn State | Columbus, Ohio | 10.3 pts., 7.7 assists, 5.4 reb., 3.0 steals, 40.0 FG% | ||
| THIRD TEAM | Cl. | Ht. | College | Hometown | Key Statistics | |||
| F | Svetlana Abrosimova | Jr. | 6-2 | Connecticut | St. Petersburg, Russia | 13.4 pts., 6.2 reb., 3.8 assists, 49.5 FG% | ||
| F | Lynn Pride | Sr. | 6-2 | Kansas | Arlington, Tex. | 17.5 pts., 8.2 reb., 2.9 assists, 2.7 steals, 44.5 FG% | ||
| C | Summer Erb | Sr. | 6-6 | N.C. State | Lakewood, Ohio | 15.8 pts., 8.4 reb., 55.5 FG% | ||
| G | Marie Ferdinand | Jr. | 5-9 | LSU | Miami, Fla. | 17.4 pts., 5.3 assists, 4.6 reb., 2.6 steals, 49.4 FG% | ||
| G | Jackie Stiles | Jr. | 5-8 | SW Missouri St. | Claflin, Kan. | 27.0 pts., 4.4 reb., 2.1 assists, 48.8 FG%, 46.2 3FG%, 86.0 FT% | ||
| FOURTH TEAM | Cl. | Ht. | College | Hometown | Key Statistics | |||
| F | LaToya Thomas | Fr. | 6-2 | Miss. State | Greenville, Miss. | 20.7 pts., 7.8 reb., 56.8 FG% | ||
| F | Katie Douglas | Jr. | 6-1 | Purdue | Indianapolis, Ind. | 21.3 pts., 6.5 reb., 4.7 assists, 2.5 steals, 44.0 FG%, 82.9 FT% | ||
| C | Janell Burse | Jr. | 6-5 | Tulane | New Orleans, La. | 19.8 pts., 10.1 reb., 2.8 blocks, 59.7 FG% | ||
| G | Semeka Randall | Jr. | 5-10 | Tennessee | Cleveland, Ohio | 14.2 pts., 5.1 reb., 1.8 steals, 42.9 FG% | ||
| G | Sue Bird | So. | 5-9 | Connecticut | Syosset, N.Y. | 10.6 pts., 4.5 assists, 2.6 reb., 50.5 FG%, 48.6 3FG%, 88.9 FT% | ||
| FIFTH TEAM | Cl. | Ht. | College | Hometown | Key Statistics | |||
| F | Maylana Martin | Sr. | 6-3 | UCLA | Perris, Calif. | 17.4 pts., 8.5 reb., 54.9 FG% | ||
| F | Karalyn Church | Sr. | 6-0 | Vermont | Guelph, Ontario | 20.2 pts., 7.9 reb., 2.1 steals, 64.8 FG% | ||
| C | Jamie Cassidy | Sr. | 6-4 | Maine | Methuen, Mass. | 21.2 pts., 9.0 reb., 2.6 blocks, 51.9 FG%, 82.0 FT% | ||
| G | Betty Lenox | Sr. | 5-8 | La. Tech | Independence, Mo. | 17.6 pts., 6.2 reb., 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals, 47.3 FG%, 80.0 FT% | ||
| G | Linda Frohlich | So. | 6-0 | UNLV | Oldendorf, Germany | 21.9 pts., 11.3 reb., 4.0 assists, 3.4 steals, 46.7 FG% | ||
