Kentucky’s Epps earns All-America honors for second year in a row
University of Kentucky junior guard Makayla Epps earned honorable mention for the second year in a row when The Associated Press named its annual All-America women’s basketball teams on Monday.
The AP named three teams of five players each, plus 27 honorable mentions.
Epps averaged 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists in leading Kentucky to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. Epps, who was an All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection, received one vote for the All-America first team.
Connecticut’s Breanna Stewart headlined the AP All-America first team, becoming just the sixth player to achieve that billing three times. She has also been a unanimous choice all three times. Joining Stewart on the first team were UConn teammate Moriah Jefferson, Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell, Minnesota’s Rachel Banham and South Carolina’s A'ja Wilson.
Baylor’s Brittney Griner, Tennessee’s Chamique Holdsclaw, Duke’s Alana Beard, Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris and UConn’s Maya Moore are the only other players to earn first-team honors at least three times. Paris and Moore were All-Americans all four years.
“To be given such a prestigious award three times in a row is unbelievable,” Stewart said. “When you name those great players and to be in the same, I guess, class as them — it’s kind of crazy, because they’ve done so much for women’s basketball and it makes me excited for what’s to come.”
Voting was done before the NCAA Tournament.
Joining Epps and South Carolina’s Wilson among SEC players being honored were second-team choice Tiffany Mitchell of South Carolina and honorable mention picks Alaina Coates of South Carolina, Bashaara Graves of Tennessee and Courtney Walker of Texas A&M.
Louisville’s Myisha Hines-Allen also earned honorable mention.
Associated Press All-America teams
First Team |
Breanna Stewart, UConn, 6-4, senior, North Syracuse, N.Y., 19.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.0 apg, 58.2 fg pct, 41.2 3pt, 82.2 ft, 3.5 blocks, 1.7 steals (32 first-team votes, 160 total points).
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina, 6-5, sophomore, Hopkins, S.C., 16.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 54.4 fg pct, 3.1 blocks (29, 154)
Moriah Jefferson, UConn, 5-7, senior, Glenn Heights, Texas, 12.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 55.1 fg pct, 39.4 3pt, 90.7 ft, 2.7 steals (28, 152).
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State, 5-8, sophomore, Cincinnati, 25.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.3 apg, 40.2 3pt, 85.1 ft, 36.6 minutes, 1.7 steals (22, 140).
Rachel Banham, Minnesota, 5-9, senior, Lakeville, Minn., 27.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 39.9 3pt, 85.6 ft, 2.0 steals (21, 132).
Second Team |
Nina Davis, Baylor, 5-11, junior, Memphis, Tenn., 15.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 54.1 fg (7, 99).
Brianna Turner, Notre Dame, 6-3, sophomore, Pearland, Texas, 14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 59.6 fg pct, 3.2 blocks (6, 98).
Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina, 5-9, senior, Charlotte, N.C., 15.0 ppg, 2.5 apg, 82.9 ft, 1.8 steals (4, 66).
Morgan Tuck, UConn, 6-2, junior, Bolingbrook, Ill., 12.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 50.2 fg (1, 60).
Jamie Weisner, Oregon State, 5-10, senior, Clarkston, Wash., 17.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 44.5 3pt, 87.3 ft (1, 55).
Third Team |
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland, 5-11, junior, Aliquippa, Pa., 19.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.3 apg, 54.9 fg, 54.0 3pt, 2.0 steals (2, 50).
Kelsey Plum, Washington, 5-8, junior, Poway, Calif., 26.2 ppg, 3.8 apg, 37.9 minutes, 89.5 ft, 1.6 steals (0, 44).
Brittney Martin, Oklahoma State, 6-0, senior, Syracuse, Utah, 20.3 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 36.9 minutes, 50.1 fg, 2.9 blocks (3, 40).
Jillian Alleyne, Oregon, 6-3, senior, Fontana, Calif., 19.0 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 58.5 fg (1, 30).
Aerial Powers, Michigan State, 6-0, junior, Detroit, 21.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 84.0 ft, 1.9 steals (0, 30).
Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order) |
Ameryst Alston, Ohio State; Imani Boyette, Texas; Madison Cable, Notre Dame; Jordin Canada, UCLA; Alaina Coates, South Carolina; Nia Coffey, Northwestern; Lexi Eaton Rydalch, BYU; Makayla Epps (1), Kentucky; Nathalie Fontaine, Ball State; Bashaara Graves, Tennessee; Ruth Hamblin, Oregon State; Myisha Hines-Allen, Louisville; Bria Holmes, West Virginia; Chanise Jenkins, DePaul; Alexis Jones, Baylor; Brionna Jones, Maryland; Jonquel Jones, George Washington; Niya Johnson (1), Baylor; Jackie Kemph, Saint Louis; Whitney Knight, Florida Gulf Coast; Kelsey Minato, Army; Jasmine Nwajei, Wagner; Shereesha Richards, Albany; Azura Stevens, Duke; Courtney Walker, Texas A&M; Sydney Wiese, Oregon State; Courtney Williams (1), South Florida.
This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Kentucky’s Epps earns All-America honors for second year in a row."