Paris a Three-Time AP All-American

April 1, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Oklahoma's Courtney Paris was named to The Associated Press women's All-America team Tuesday.

Paris, a first-teamer for the third straight season, is only the third player to be a three-time All-American, joining Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee and Alana Beard of Duke.

"Wow, that's a special group to be a part of," said Paris, a junior who extended her double-double streak to 92 games this season. "It's a huge honor."

Paris was joined on the team by repeat honoree Candace Parker of Tennessee and first-timers Sylvia Fowles of LSU, Maya Moore of Connecticut and Candice Wiggins of Stanford.

Moore became only the second freshman, Paris was the first, selected to The Associated Press women's All-America team, an honor her coach hoped would not prove a burden during the NCAA tournament.

To avoid further pressure, Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma didn't want Moore to know of her selection until after the Huskies played Rutgers in the Greensboro Regional final Tuesday night.

"I think given the circumstances, given the spotlight she plays under, I just think she's matured beyond her years and I don't know if any kid has had an impact on a team that she's had," Auriemma said. "I think the term 'All-American' back in the day meant more than just a player."

Moore helped lead the Huskies to the Big East regular-season and conference tournament titles. She was the first freshman -- male or female -- to win conference player of the year.

Moore broke the conference and school freshman scoring record and has averaged 22 points and 10.3 rebounds in the Huskies' first three NCAA tournament games.

"If you look at what she's done for this program and how she conducts herself, she's everyone's All-American," Auriemma said.

Parker, also a junior, received 250 points and was the only unanimous first-team choice among the 50-member national media panel that votes in the weekly Top 25. The voting was done before the start of the NCAA tournament.

Parker will be graduate in May and will most likely be the first pick in the WNBA draft on April 9.

"I feel like I tried hard to come back and be better this year," she said.

Wiggins and Fowles will also be picked high in the WNBA draft.

"It's a great feeling," said Wiggins, who led Stanford to its first Final Four in 11 years. "I have so much respect for the game, I was honored to be a second-teamer in the past and now I'm in great company."

Wiggins helped the Cardinal win their eighth straight Pac-10 title and became the conference's all-time scoring leader.

Fowles averaged 17 points and helped lead LSU to its fifth straight Final Four.

"I am very honored to be considered one of the best players in the country," Fowles said. "These awards mean a lot to me."

Paris had 42 first-team votes and 234 points. Fowles and Wiggins each had 41 and 232, and Moore totaled 37 and 222.

"You put that team on the floor and we would all be fighting over who would be coaching them," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.

Paris, Wiggins, Fowles and Parker all played this summer with the U.S. select team. They helped the Americans qualify for the Beijing Olympics and will all be part of the U.S. senior team training camp in April.

"I've know those girls forever," Wiggins said. "Maya's a phenomenal freshman."

Moore was on the under-19 team that breezed through the world championships last summer.

The second team had an ACC flavor, with conference player of the year Crystal Langhorne and Maryland teammate Kristi Toliver leading the way. North Carolina senior Erlana Larkins, Louisville junior Angel McCoughtry and Oklahoma State sophomore Andrea Riley complete the second team.

The third team included Connecticut teammates Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery. They were joined by Rutgers' Epiphanny Prince, Middle Tennessee State's Amber Holt and Utah's Leilani Mitchell.

The preseason All-America team was Paris, Parker, Wiggins, Fowles and Langhorne. Joining Paris and Parker on last year's first team was Lindsey Harding of Duke, Ivory Latta of North Carolina and Jessica Davenport of Ohio State.

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The 2007-08 AP women's All-America basketball team with school, height, class and key regular-season statistics, followed in parentheses by first-team votes and points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis by a 50-member national media panel:

FIRST TEAM
Candace Parker, Tennessee, 6-foot-5 junior, 21.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 2.3 blocks, 2.3 steals, .548 fg pct (50 first-place votes, 250 points).

Courtney Paris, Oklahoma, 6-4, junior, 18.6 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 3.5 blocks, .561 fg pct (42, 234).

Candice Wiggins, Stanford, 5-11, senior, 19.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.1 steals, 77 3-pointers (41, 232).

Sylvia Fowles, LSU, 6-6, senior, 17.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.8 blocks, .597 fg pct (41, 232).

Maya Moore, Connecticut, 6-0, freshman, 18.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.6 steals, .550 fg pct (37, 222).

SECOND TEAM
Crystal Langhorne, Maryland, 6-2, senior, 17.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 1.3 apg, .647 fg pct (5, 151).

Erlana Larkins, North Carolina, 6-1, senior, 13.8 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.1 apg, .539 fg pct (11, 149).

Angel McCoughtry, Louisville, 6-1, junior, 23.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 4.1 steals, .467 fg pct (6, 126).

Kristi Toliver, Maryland, 5-7, junior, 16.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 7.5 apg, 1.5 steals, 75 3-pointers (13, 138)

Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State, 5-11, sophomore, 23.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.1 apg, 3.0 steals, 70 3-pointers (2, 107).

THIRD TEAM
Amber Holt, Middle Tennessee State, 6-0, senior, 27.3 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.2 rpg, 2.4 steals, .513 fg pct (1, 43)

Renee Montgomery, Connecticut, 5-7, junior, 14.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 68 3-pointers (1, 43)

Leilani Mitchell, Utah, 5-5, senior, 16.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.5 apg, 1.8 steals, .472 fg pct (1, 37)

Epiphanny Prince, Rutgers, 5-9, sophomore, 14.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.5 steals, 37 3-pointers (0, 34)

Tina Charles, Connecticut, 6-4, sophomore, 14.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.7 blocks, .605 fg pct (0, 29)

HONORABLE MENTION (In alphabetical order)
Charel Allen, Notre Dame; Rachel Allison, Baylor; Jolene Anderson, Wisconsin; Matee Ajavon, Rutgers; Jayne Appel, Stanford; Kimberly Beck, George Washington; Chante Black, Duke; Shannon Bobbitt, Tennessee; DeWanna Bonner, Auburn; Essence Carson, Rutgers; Kristi Cirone, Illinois State; Marissa Coleman, Maryland; Kimberly Dietz, Kansas State; Janelle Dodds, SMU.

Natalie Doma, Idaho State; Robyn Fairbanks, Utah Valley State; Claire Faucher, Portland State; A'Quonesia Franklin, Texas A&M; Devanei Hampton, California; Laura Harper, Maryland; Tasha Humphrey, Georgia.

Charde Houston, Connecticut; Briann January, Arizona State; Crystal Kelly, Western Kentucky; Natasha Lacy, UTEP; Jantel Lavender, Ohio State; Jeomi Maduka, Cornell; Jackie McFarland, Colorado; Lindsey Pluimer, UCLA; LaToya Pringle, North Carolina.

Allie Quigley, DePaul; Adrianne Ross, TCU; Olayinka Sanni, West Virginia; Jenna Smith, Illinois; Takia Starks, Texas A&M; Angela Tisdale, Baylor; Ashley Walker, California.

Marcedes Walker, Pittsburgh; Abby Waner, Duke; Morgan Warburton, Utah; Khadijah Whittington, N.C. State; Tierre Wilson, Fresno State; Monica Wright; Virginia; Tamera Young, James Madison; Hannah Zavecz, Wyoming.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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