Robinson Honored with NCAA Top VIII Award

Nov. 2, 2011

NORMAN, Okla. -- Former Oklahoma women's basketball standout Danielle Robinson was one of eight student-athletes selected by the NCAA to receive one of its highest honors.

Robinson will be recognized in January 2012 as a Today's Top VIII Award winner.

"I feel honored and extremely blessed," Robinson said, "I enjoyed all of my time at Oklahoma both on and off the court. The people of Oklahoma wished the best for me and provided an environment for me to thrive. The opportunity I was given to showcase my talents on the court and give back to the community made my four years truly extraordinary."

The NCAA Today's Top VIII Award recognizes student-athletes who completed their athletics eligibility during the 2010-11 academic year for their success on the fields and courts, in the classroom and in the community. Award recipients will be recognized at the Honors Celebration on Jan. 13 during the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis.

"Danielle wore her enthusiasm for all to see and applied it to every aspect of her life," Joe Castiglione, OU vice president of intercollegiate athletics programs and director of athletics, said, "She absolutely defines the Top VIII Award, which is among the most prestigious honors presented by the NCAA. She excelled in every facet of her student athlete experience at Oklahoma, and our department benefitted many times over from her efforts. Danielle truly exemplified the Sooner Spirit and became an inspiration for countless people of all ages. We congratulate her for this extraordinary recognition of her academic, athletic and leadership skills."

Robinson is the second straight Top VIII winner and fourth in OU's history. Amy Backel (track and field) was a recipient of the award last year and football players Keith Jackson (1988) and Anthony Phillips (1989) earned the honor when it was formerly the Top VI.

The two-time All-American point guard completed one of the most prolific careers ever at Oklahoma.

"Danielle Robinson led us to back to back Final Fours," OU head women's basketball coach Sherri Coale said, "and her competitive personality left an indelible mark on both the University of Oklahoma and the women's basketball landscape at large. This is a tremendous honor that is being bestowed upon her, and yet it is so fitting because Danielle did impact completely--on the court, in the classroom, in the community--whatever she was involved in got better because she was there.

"It's also fitting that the awards would continue to roll in after her collegiate playing career has ended. That is the nature of Danielle Robinson. She stays with you, her influence continues."

Robinson led the Sooners to back-to-back Women's Final Fours in 2009 and 2010. She won a gold medal as a member of Team USA during the 2009 World University Games. The three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection was named to the All-Big 12 Championship Team in 2010 and 2011 and was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2008. Robinson is the school record holder for career games started and played. The top-scoring guard in school history, Robinson is one of just four players all-time to pass the 2,000-point, 700-assist and 300-steal benchmarks in a career.

Robinson was also a 2011 Lowe's Senior Class Award finalist, a three-time first-team Big 12 All-Academic honoree and was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll eight times. She was OU's female recipient of the Big 12 Conference Medal.

The other seven recipients of Today's Top VIII award include Sam Acho, University of Texas football; Kelsey Bruder, University of Florida softball; Shannon Gagne, University of New Haven, track and field; Kayla Hoffman, University of Alabama gymnastics; Lee Ellis Moore, University of Mississippi, track and field; Kendra Stern, Amherst College swimming and diving; and Brittany Viola, University of Miami (Fla.) swimming and diving.

The honorees are selected by the NCAA Honors Committee, which is composed of athletics administrators at member institutions and nationally distinguished citizens who are former student-athletes.

Selected sixth in the 2011 WNBA draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars, Robinson was one of two unanimous choices for the WNBA's All-Rookie team this season. She is currently playing professionally in Israel with Maccabi Ramat Hen.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Robinson Honored with NCAA Top VIII Award

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