Pondexter Named to AP All-America First Team
Mar 28 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Rutgers fifth-year senior Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL) has been named to the Associated Press Women’s Basketball All-America First Team.
Pondexter, who was an honorable-mention AP All-American in 2003 and 2005, as well as a third-team pick in 2004, is the first Scarlet Knight to be named to the Associated Press All-America First Team. The AP, which recognized its first All-America Team during the 1994-95 season, previously acknowledged Rutgers standouts Shawnetta Stewart (honorable mention, 2000) and Tasha Pointer (honorable mention, 2000-2001).
Pondexter, who has been named a finalist for the State Farm Wade Trophy (national player of the year), the Naismith Award (national player of the year) and the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award, as well as one of 11 nominees for the Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard) and a member of the national ballot for the Women’s Wooden Award (national player of the year), averaged 21.6 points per contest (tied for sixth nationally as of March 22), adding 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season. Named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Player of the Month for January, the 5-9 guard was picked to the six-member WBCA All-Region 1 Team and was the unanimous choice as the BIG EAST Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to be named to the All-BIG EAST First Team four times during her career. The MVP at the Junkanoo Jam Nov. 25-26 and the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge Dec. 3-4, she was selected to the BIG EAST All-Tournament Team for the fourth straight year (22.5 ppg) and she has also received four BIG EAST Conference player-of-the-week awards (Jan. 2, Jan. 16, Feb. 6, Feb. 13) and six berths on the BIG EAST Honor Roll (Nov. 28, Dec. 5, Dec. 12, Jan. 9, Jan. 23, Jan. 30). Pondexter was a frequent member of preseason honor lists this fall, earning first-team All-America accolades from the Associated Press and Women’s Basketball News Service, second-team All-America mentions from Gballmag.com, Lindy’s and Athlon Sports, and a spot on the Street & Smith’s “Terrific 10” Preseason All-America Team.
Pondexter helped lead No. 9/9 Rutgers to a 27-5 overall record, advancing to the regional semifinals of the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The Scarlet Knights posted a perfect 16-0 mark in BIG EAST Conference regular-season play to win their second straight outright BIG EAST regular-season crown.
She was joined on the Associated Press All-America First Team by Seimone Augustus (LSU), Ivory Latta (North Carolina), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma) and Sophia Young (Baylor). In addition, she is the second Scarlet Knight to be named an AP All-American in as many days, as Quincy Douby was an honorable-mention selection to the men’s squad.
