An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889.[1] The 2021 NCAA Women's Basketball All-Americans are honorary lists that include All-American selections from the Associated Press (AP), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) for the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. Both AP and USBWA choose three teams, while WBCA lists 10 honorees.
| 2021 NCAA Women's Basketball All-Americans | |
|---|---|
Members of the 2021 All-America first team (AP, USBWA). Clockwise from upper left: Boston, Bueckers, Howard, and Smith. Dana Evans not pictured. | |
| Awarded for | 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season |
.jpg)
A consensus All-America team in women's basketball has never been organized. This differs from the practice in men's basketball, in which the NCAA uses a combination of selections by AP, USBWA, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and Sporting News to determine a consensus All-America team. The selection of a consensus All-America men's basketball team is possible because all four organizations select at least a first and second team, with only the USBWA not selecting a third team.
Before the 2017–18 season, it was impossible for a consensus women's All-America team to be determined because the AP had been the only body that divided its women's selections into separate teams. The USBWA first named separate teams in 2017–18. The women's counterpart to the NABC, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), continues the USBWA's former practice of selecting a single 10-member (plus ties) team. Sporting News does not select an All-America team in women's basketball.
By selector
editAssociated Press (AP)
editAnnounced on March 17, 2021.[2]
| First team | Second team | Third team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | School | Player | School | Player | School |
| Aliyah Boston | South Carolina | Caitlin Clark | Iowa | Chelsea Dungee | Arkansas |
| Paige Bueckers | UConn | Charli Collier | Texas | Natasha Mack | Oklahoma State |
| Dana Evans | Louisville | Elissa Cunane | NC State | Michaela Onyenwere | UCLA |
| Rhyne Howard | Kentucky | Naz Hillmon | Michigan | Ashley Owusu | Maryland |
| NaLyssa Smith | Baylor | Aari McDonald | Arizona | Kiana Williams | Stanford |
AP Honorable Mention
edit
|
|
|
United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA)
editAnnounced on April 2, 2021.[4]
| First team | Second team | Third team | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | School | Player | School | Player | School |
| Aliyah Boston | South Carolina | Charli Collier | Texas | Chelsea Dungee | Arkansas |
| Paige Bueckers | UConn | Elissa Cunane | NC State | Ashley Joens | Iowa State |
| Caitlin Clark | Iowa | Aari McDonald | Arizona | Natasha Mack | Oklahoma State |
| Dana Evans | Louisville | NaLyssa Smith | Baylor | Michaela Onyenwere | UCLA |
| Naz Hillmon | Michigan | Kiana Williams | Stanford | Ashley Owusu | Maryland |
| Rhyne Howard | Kentucky | ||||
Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)
editAnnounced on April 3, 2021.[5]
| Player | School |
|---|---|
| Aliiyah Boston | South Carolina |
| Paige Bueckers | UConn |
| Caitlin Clark | Iowa |
| Chelsea Dungee | Arkansas |
| Dana Evans | Louisville |
| Naz Hillmon | Michigan |
| Rhyne Howard | Kentucky |
| Aari McDonald | Arizona |
| NaLyssa Smith | Baylor |
| Kiana Williams | Stanford |
By player
edit| Player | School | Year | AP | USBWA | WBCA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliyah Boston | South Carolina | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Paige Bueckers | UConn | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Dana Evans | Louisville | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Rhyne Howard | Kentucky | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| NaLyssa Smith | Baylor | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
Academic All-Americans
editThe College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced its 15-member 2021 Academic All-America team on May 28, 2021, divided into first, second and third teams, with Aliyah Boston of South Carolina chosen as women's college basketball Academic All-American of the Year, also becoming the first sophomore so honored in D-I women's basketball.[6]
| Player | School | Class | GPA and major |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aliyah Boston | South Carolina | So. | 3.81, Mass Communications |
| Kailey Coffey | Northern Kentucky | Sr. | 4.00, Chemistry/Biochemistry |
| Vivian Gray[a] | Texas Tech | GS | 3.58/4.00, Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Lexie Hull | Stanford | Jr. | 3.92, Management Science & Engineering |
| Sam Thomas | Arizona | GS | 3.97/4.00, Psychology (UG) / Organizational Leadership (G) |
| Player | School | Class | GPA and major |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Evans | Louisville | Sr. | 3.49, Sport Administration |
| Ayoka Lee | Kansas State | Jr. | 3.88, Psychology |
| Ali Patberg | Indiana | GS | 3.71/4.00, Finance (UG) / Recreational Administration (G) |
| Myah Selland | South Dakota State | Jr. | 3.97, Exercise Science / Community & Public Health |
| Kiana Williams | Stanford | Sr. | 3.38, Science, Technology & Society |
| Player | School | Class | GPA and major |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laura Bagwell Katalinich | Minnesota | GS | 3.93/4.00, Communications (UG) / Sport Management (G) |
| Conley Chinn | Belmont | Sr. | 4.00, Psychology |
| Elissa Cunane | NC State | Jr. | 3.34, Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology |
| Lainey Gosnell | Appalachian State | GS | 4.00/4.00, Psychology |
| Dariauna Lewis | Alabama A&M | Jr. | 3.77, Biology |
- ^ Third team in 2019–20.
Senior All-Americans
editThe 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, called Senior All-Americans, were announced on February 22, 2021.[7] Rennia Davis of Tennessee was named the recipient on April 2, with the first and second teams also being announced at that time.[8]
First team
edit| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| Rennia Davis | Guard | Tennessee |
| Dana Evans | Guard | Louisville |
| Blanca Millán | Guard | Maine |
| Michaela Onyenwere | Forward | UCLA |
| Jill Townsend | Guard | Gonzaga |
Second team
edit| Player | Position | School |
|---|---|---|
| Arella Guirantes | Guard | Rutgers |
| Nancy Mulkey | Center | Rice |
| IImar’I Thomas | Forward | Cincinnati |
| Unique Thompson | Forward | Auburn |
| Mariah White | Guard | Cleveland State |
References
edit- ^ The Michigan alumnus. University of Michigan Library. 2010. p. 495. ASIN B0037HO8MY.
- ^ "UConn freshman Paige Bueckers leads women's AP All-America team". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "Jenn Wirth, Townsend Named Honorable Mention AP All-American". wccsports.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
- ^ "USBWA Names 2020-21 Women's All-America Team" (Press release). United States Basketball Writers Association. April 2, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
- ^ "Wade Trophy Winner NaLyssa Smith of Baylor Headlines 2021 WBCA Division I Coaches' All-America Team" (Press release). Women's Basketball Coaches Association. April 3, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ "Corey Kispert of Gonzaga, Aliyah Boston of South Carolina Lead Academic All-America® NCAA Division I Men's & Women's Basketball Teams" (PDF) (Press release). College Sports Information Directors of America. May 28, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ "Men's and Women's Basketball Finalists Announced for the 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award" (Press release). Premier Sports Management. February 22, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ "Tennessee's Rennia Davis Wins 2020-21 Senior CLASS Award® for Women's Basketball" (Press release). Premier Sports Management. April 1, 2021. Retrieved April 1, 2021.