Mountain West Announces 2009-10 Women's Basketball All-Conference Team
TCU's Helena Sverrisdottir earns Player of the Year honors
March 8, 2010
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -
The nine MWC women's basketball coaches chose TCU junior Helena Sverrisdottir as the Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Year for 2009-10 as the all-Conference team and individual award winners were announced by the MWC today. For the second consecutive season, Defensive Player of the Year honors went to San Diego State's Jené Morris, while Utah's Taryn Wicijowski was chosen as the Freshman of the Year. The Sixth Player of the Year award was given to BYU's Coriann Wood, while SDSU's Jessika Bradley earned Newcomer of the Year honors. TCU's Jeff Mittie earned his first MWC Coach of the Year honor after guiding the Horned Frogs to their first MWC regular-season title.
Seven juniors, five seniors, two sophomores and one freshman make up this year's all-MWC team. Ten of the all-Conference picks were repeat selections from 2008-09.
Four institutions were honored on this year's first team. Joining Sverrisdottir and Morris on the all-MWC first team were New Mexico's Amy Beggin, TCU's Emily Carter and Utah's Kalee Whipple. Carter made her second consecutive all-Conference appearance, being named to the second team last season, while Beggin is a three-time honoree. Morris and Whipple are first-team members for the second straight season after receiving second-team accolades in 2007-08.
Wyoming's Hillary Carlson is the only returning all-Conference performer from 2008-09 on the second team. This year, six student-athletes were named to the second team, due to a tie for the fifth spot. Carlson was joined on the second unit by Cowgirl teammate Aubrey Vandiver, BYU's Mindy Bonham, Colorado State's Kim Mestdagh, San Diego State's Paris Johnson and Utah's Taryn Wicijowski. Bonham and Johnson also earned their second all-Conference honors after being named to the first and third team, respectively, last season. Mestdagh and Wicijowski are first-time honorees.
San Diego State's Quenese Davis earned the second third-team honor and third all-Conference plaudit for her career overall. TCU's TK LaFleur garnered her second career all-Conference nod, while UNLV's Erica Helms and Wyoming's Emma Langford both made their first appearance on the all-MWC list.
Helena Sverrisdottir (TCU) - Player of the Year, First Team All-MWC
TCU's Helena Sverrisdottir earned her second consecutive first-team selection. Helping TCU to a 22-7 overall and 12-4 Conference record, Sverrisdottir averaged 13.1 points, 5.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game in league play. The junior scored in double figures in 12 of 16 MWC contests, including two 20-point performances. Sverrisdottir is the only MWC player that ranked among the league's top-12 individuals in points (No. 9), rebounds (No. 12), assists (No. 2) and steals (tied - No. 6) in Conference play.
Jené Morris (San Diego State) - Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-MWC
San Diego State's Jené Morris helped the Aztecs to an 18-10 overall and 10-6 Conference record. This marks Morris' third all-conference selection as she was named to the second-team in 2007-08 and first-team last season. Morris led the league in scoring (18.4 ppg) and steals (2.9 spg) in Conference play. The senior scored in double figures 15 out of 16 Conference games and had 15 or more points in 10 league outings, which included seven 20-plus point performances. Morris also recorded three or more steals in 11 games, including a streak of five straight.
Kalee Whipple (Utah) - First Team All-MWC
Utah's Kalee Whipple earned her second consecutive first-team all-conference accolade and fourth overall for her career, being named to the third team as a freshman in 2006-07 and second team all-league in 2007-08. In Conference play, Whipple ranked second in scoring (17.4 ppg) and fifth in rebounds (7.3 rpg), while leading the MWC in minutes played per game (38.1). The senior scored in double figures 14 times in league play, including an MWC-record 45 points on Feb. 10 vs. TCU as part of five 20-plus point performances overall.
Emily Carter (TCU) - First Team All-MWC
TCU's Emily Carter helped the Horned Frogs to the regular-season championship. She finished fifth in scoring (15.7 ppg), second in free-throw percentage (.913) and made three-pointers per game (2.1) and fourth in three-point percentage (.400) in Conference play. Carter scored 10 or more points in 14 league games and hit at least one shot from beyond the arc in 15 contests. She also led the Horned Frogs in scoring 10 times.
Amy Beggin (New Mexico) - First Team All-MWC
New Mexico's Amy Beggin garnered her third consecutive all-conference accolade and first first-team acknowledgement after helping the Lobos to a 9-7 record this season. The senior led the MWC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.8) and free-throw percentage (.919), while ranking third in minutes played (36.2) and sixth in assists (3.8). Beggin also averaged 10.6 points and 1.8 steals per game.
First Team All-Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball
*#Helena Sverrisdottir
Jr.
G/F
6-1
TCU
*Emily Carter
Jr.
G
6-1
TCU
**Kalee Whipple
Sr.
F
6-0
Utah
**#Jené Morris
Sr.
G
5-9
San Diego State
**Amy Beggin
Sr.
G
5-6
New Mexico
Second Team All-Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball
*Mindy Bonham
Jr.
G
5-10
BYU
Kim Mestdagh
So.
G/F
5-10
Colorado State
*Paris Johnson
Jr.
C
6-4
San Diego State
Taryn Wicijowski
Fr.
C
6-2
Utah
*Hillary Carlson
Jr.
F
6-3
Wyoming
Aubrey Vandiver
Jr.
G
5-11
Wyoming
Third Team All-Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball
**Quenese Davis
Sr.
G
5-10
San Diego State
*TK LaFleur
Sr.
G
5-8
TCU
Erica Helms
Jr.
G
5-7
UNLV
Emma Langford
So.
F
6-2
Wyoming
Honorable Mention All-Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball
Raimee Beck
Jr.
G
5-8
Air Force
Jazmine Foreman
Jr.
G
5-5
BYU
Haley Hall
Jr.
G
5-4
BYU
Kristen Riley
So.
F
6-3
BYU
Coriann Wood
Jr.
F
6-1
BYU
Amanda Best
Jr.
G/F
6-0
New Mexico
Jessica Kielpinski
Jr.
F
6-1
New Mexico
Starr Crawford
Fr.
F
6-0
TCU
Eboni Mangum
Sr.
G
5-8
TCU
Jamie Smith
So.
G/F
6-0
UNLV
All-Defensive Team
Mindy Bonham
Jr.
G
5-10
BYU
Jazmine Foreman
Jr.
G
5-5
BYU
Amy Beggin
Sr.
G
5-6
New Mexico
Jené Morris
Sr.
G
5-9
San Diego State
Eboni Mangum
Sr.
G
5-8
TCU
Halie Sawyer
Sr.
F
6-1
Utah
Player of the Year: Helena Sverrisdottir, TCU
Defensive Player of the Year: Jené Morris, San Diego State
Freshman of the Year: Taryn Wicijowski, Utah
Newcomer of the Year: Jessika Bradley, San Diego State
