UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Three unanimous selections highlight the 2016 American Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team, as announced by the conference office on Thursday. The awards were voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.
UConn seniors Moriah Jefferson and Breanna Stewart joined USF’s Courtney Williams as unanimous selections. The trio was accompanied by forward Morgan Tuck of the Huskies, East Carolina guard/forward Jada Payne and Temple guard Alliya Butts. One of these players will be named The American Player of the Year Friday at 2 p.m. ET at Mohegan Sun Arena in conjunction with the American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship.
Jefferson makes her third consecutive appearance on the all-conference first team and second stint as a unanimous selection. The senior leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.6) as the point guard on the most efficient offense in nation. She distributed 5.4 assists per contest and finished the regular season with 13.1 points per game while shooting 55.7-percent from the field. In addition to her all-league honor, Jefferson was also named the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year. The Huskies have limited opponents to a national-low 48.1 points per outing, due in large part to Jefferson’s tenacious defense on opposing guards. She produced a league-leading 2.7 steals per game as the anchor of the UConn defense.
Stewart is no stranger to conference accolades as she was unanimously voted to the all-conference first team for the third straight season. The native of North Syracuse, New York, received player of the week honors five times in the 2015-16 season. Stewart has dominated on both sides of the ball all season and guided the Huskies (29-0) to their eighth undefeated regular season with 19.6 points per game on 57.9-percent shooting from the floor, to go with 8.6 rebounds. On the defensive end, Stewart ranks seventh in the country with 3.4 blocked shots per game.
Williams captured The American scoring title for the second consecutive season and earned her second straight unanimous all-conference first team selection - her third overall first team appearance. The product of Folkston, Georgia, concluded the regular season circuit ranked 10th in the nation with 21.9 points per game. Williams produced 30-plus scoring games four times in the 2015-16 season, including a season-high 34 points against Jacksonville in the season opener.
A repeat selection to the first team, Tuck was third on the Huskies in scoring (12.3) and third in The American in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5), trailing teammates Jefferson and Stewart. Tuck also received the 2016 American Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award, joining former teammate Stefanie Dolson as the only other UConn player to receive the accolade.
Payne earned a first team spot for the second straight year. The senior guard/forward averaged a league-leading 37.6 minutes per game and finished third in conference in scoring (19.4). Payne ranks among The American leaders in rebounds, steals, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Butts followed up a solid freshman campaign, in which she was voted to the 2014-15 American Athletic Conference All-Freshman and All-Conference Third Team, by making her debut on the all-conference first team. The guard led the Owls with 15.5 points per game, and ranked second in the conference in steals per contest (2.6) and third in 3-pointers (2.2).
The American Athletic Conference Second Team included East Carolina forward I’Tiana Taylor (14.1 ppg, 10.4 rpg), Memphis guard Ariel Hearn (14.3 ppg, 3.9 apg), USF forward Kitija Laksa (13.4 ppg), Tulane guard Kolby Morgan (17.4 ppg, 2.2 spg) and Temple guard Feyonda Fitzgerald (13.2 ppg, 5.4 apg). Taylor and Hearn are making their second consecutive appearance on the second team.
The American Athletic Conference Third Team consisted of UConn guard Kia Nurse (9.1 ppg, 2.8 apg), USF forward Alisia Jenkins (10.0 ppg, 11.8 rpg), SMU forward Alicia Froling (12.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg), Tulane guard Leslie Vorpahl (11.0 ppg, 5.5 apg) and Tulsa guard Ashley Clark (14.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg).
Vorpahl was also named the 2016 Most Improved Player of the Year scoring 100-more points and doubling her assist output from last season.
UConn guard/forward Katie Lou Samuelson (10.3 ppg), Houston guard Serithia Hawkins (8.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and USF forward Kitija Laksa (13.4 ppg) were unanimous selections to the 2016 American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team. Samuelson led the top-ranked Huskies with 59 3-pointers in the regular season. Hawkins was the Cougars’ top scorer seven times in the 2015-16 season. Laksa poured in 38 points against SMU on Jan. 7, the highest single-game total this season and second all-time in The American. UConn guard/forward Napheesa Collier (6.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg) and Tulane guard Taylor Emery (6.5 ppg) rounded out the all-freshman team. One of these players will be named Freshman of the Year on Friday.
USF guard Shalethia Stringfield was named the 2016 American Athletic Conference Sixth Player of the Year. Stringfield led the Bulls with 3.7 assists per game and connected on 84.4-percent of her attempts from the free throw line.
SMU guard McKenzie Adams earned the 2016 American Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year award after the Arkansas transfer logged a team-best 33.1 minutes per game and paced the Mustangs offense with 13.6 points per contest.
The American Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year will be announced at a press conference on Friday, March 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena at 2 p.m. ET. The event will be streamed live on The American Digital Network.
2016 American Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team
Moriah Jefferson, Sr., G, UConn *
Breanna Stewart, Sr., F, UConn *
Morgan Tuck, Jr., F, UConn
Jada Payne, Sr., G/F, East Carolina
Courtney Williams, Sr., G, USF *
Alliya Butts, So., G, Temple
2016 American Athletic Conference All-Conference Second Team
I’Tiana Taylor, Sr., F, East Carolina
Ariel Hearn, Sr., G, Memphis
Kitija Laksa, Fr., F, USF
Feyonda Fitzgerald, Jr., G, Temple
Kolby Morgan, So., G, Tulane
2016 American Athletic Conference All-Conference Third Team
Kia Nurse, So., G, UConn
Alisia Jenkins, Sr., F, USF
Alicia Froling, So., F, SMU
Leslie Vorpahl, Jr., G, Tulane
Ashley Clark, Sr., G, Tulsa
2016 American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team
Napheesa Collier, G/F, UConn
Katie Lou Samuelson, G/F, UConn *
Serithia Hawkins, G, Houston *
Kitija Laksa, F, USF *
Taylor Emery, G, Tulane
2016 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Moriah Jefferson, Sr., G, UConn *
2016 American Athletic Conference Most Improved Player of the Year
Leslie Vorpahl, Jr., G, Tulane
2016 American Athletic Conference Sportsmanship Award
Morgan Tuck, Sr., F, UConn
2016 American Athletic Conference Sixth Player of the Year
Shalethia Stringfield, Sr., G, USF
2016 American Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year
McKenzie Adams, So., G, SMU
[*] Unanimous selection