Bruin women’s basketball rakes in awards prior to Selection Monday
Senior guard Nirra Fields and sophomore guard Jordin Canada were both named to the All-Pac-12 team Monday afternoon. (Kathy Chen/Daily Bruin and Owen Emerson/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Reed MacDonald
March 3, 2016 3:36 p.m.
The day after No. 12 UCLA women’s basketball finished its conference season 14-4 with a strong win over then-No. 9 Arizona State, the Pac-12 announced its All-Pac-12 team, its All-Defensive team and its All-Freshman team. Three Bruins earned awards, while one was given an honorable mention.
Sophomore guard Jordin Canada and senior guard Nirra Fields were both named to the All Pac-12 team while freshman guard Kennedy Burke was named to the All-Freshman team. Canada and Fields averaged about 15 and 16 points-per-game, respectively, in conference play. Canada also led the conference in assists at 6 per game. Burke averaged 4.6 points, a steal, and a block. This was Fields’ third All-Team honor.
Sophomore forward Monique Billings was an honorable mention for the All-Pac-12 team averaging over 11 points and nearly 8 rebounds a game.
In addition, Canada was also named to the All-Defensive team and Fields was an honorable mention, after the teammates finished second and third in steals per game, respectively.
Oregon State’s guard Jamie Weisner brought home Player of the Year while her teammate, center Ruth Hamblin, won Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight time. ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne won Coach of the Year and California’s Kristine Anigwe captured Freshman of the Year.
In the last of the NCAA committee’s rankings, UCLA once again came away at the 10th spot. March 14 is Selection Monday where the committee will release the NCAA Tournament bracket.
UCLA is probably locked in as No. 3 seed, with the only possibility of moving up resting on a Pac-12 Tournament win.
Email MacDonald at [email protected] or @macdonald_reed.
