Pondexter Named USBWA, ESPN.com All-American
Mar 31 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, NJ - Rutgers fifth-year senior Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL) has been named to the 10-member U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-America Team, and is one of five selections to the ESPN.com All-America First Team.
The 2006 Women's Basketball News Service National Player of the Year, Pondexter has been named a finalist for all three major national player-of-the-year awards (State Farm Wade Trophy, Naismith and Women's Wooden Award) and the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award, as well as one of 11 nominees for the Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard).?? She 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 to the Associated Press All-America First Team, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Player of the Month for January 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, the 5-9 guard 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 was joined by Semione Augustus (LSU), Ivory Latta (North Carolina), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma) and Candice Wiggins (Stanford) on the ESPN.com All-America First Team.?? The other nine members of the USBWA All-America Team were Augustus, Monique Currie (Duke), Jessica Davenport (Ohio State), Crystal Langhorne (Maryland), Latta, Paris, Candace Parker (Tennessee), Wiggins and Sophia Young (Baylor).
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.
