Starbird Headlines Ap Team Stanford Senior Leads Vote For All-America

Stanford’s Kate Starbird was the top vote-getter and Connecticut’s Kara Wolters became a repeat selection Tuesday on The Associated Press women’s All-America basketball team.

Starbird, a second-team pick last year, was voted to the first team on 38 of 40 ballots from a national media panel and had 196 points. Wolters also was placed on all 40 ballots, was a first-team pick on 34 and had 184 points in the voting.

They were joined on the first team by Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee, Ticha Penicheiro of Old Dominion and DeLisha Milton of Florida.

Holdsclaw was a third-team pick as a freshman last season.

Starbird, a 6-foot-2 senior from Tacoma, has led Stanford (30-1) to a No. 3 national ranking with play that was always consistent and often sensational.

Stanford opens the NCAA Tournament’s West Regional on Saturday at home against Howard (21-5).

“Kate’s our Jerry Rice,” Cardinal coach Tara VanDerveer said. “He scores a touchdown, puts the ball down and goes about his business. That’s her game, too. She’d rather play it than talk about it.”

There would be plenty to talk about if she chose. Like the 2,133 career points that are a Stanford record and rank fourth in the Pac-10 Conference. Or the 40 points she scored against Southern California, or the 37 she had against Arizona. Or all of those times Stanford needed a basket, and she found a way to get one.

“She takes her teammates on her back each night,” Washington coach June Daugherty said. “If she isn’t the player of the year, I don’t know who is.”

Wolters, a 6-7 senior, is the only player to earn All-America honors each of the three years the AP has chosen those teams. She was a third-team pick as a sophomore, then moved up to the first team last season.

This season, she has led top-ranked UConn to a 30-0 record while averaging 17.2 points and eight rebounds. She’s shooting 62 percent from the field despite being the focus of opposing defenses.

“I think Kara Wolters is the national player of the year,” Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. “I can’t think any other team in America playing at this level that has accomplished what we have this year relying as heavily on one person as we did her.

“You take Kara off our team and the results would be significantly different.”

The 6-2 Holdsclaw had to carry Tennessee much of the season and improved her ballhandling and perimeter skills as a result. She leads the Lady Vols in scoring (20.2) and rebounding (9.6) and is second in assists (2.9).

“Chamique is certainly the kind of player that can take on a lot of responsibility scoring and rebounding-wise,” Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said.

Penicheiro, a 5-11 senior from Portugal, is the engine that drives No. 2-ranked Old Dominion, which is 29-1 with 28 straight victories. The consummate point guard, Penicheiro averages 11 points and 7.8 assists and has a knack for getting the ball to the right player at the right time, often in spectacular fashion.

“She has such a great understanding of the game,” Old Dominion coach Wendy Larry said. “People really love watching her play.”

Milton, a 6-1 senior, always has been an outstanding player in the Southeastern Conference. But she never received any national attention until this season, when she led Florida to its first top 10 ranking and was honored as SEC player of the year.

Milton, who didn’t even receive honorable mention in last season’s All-America voting, is averaging 19.4 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the field.

The second team had Tamecka Dixon of Kansas, Tracy Reid of North Carolina, Tina Thompson of Southern California, Nykesha Sales of Connecticut and Clarisse Machanguana of Old Dominion.

On the third team were Kim Williams of DePaul, Marion Jones of North Carolina, Kedra Holland-Corn of Georgia, La’Keshia Frett of Georgia and Shalonda Enis of Alabama.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: SHOOTING STAR Starbird’s averages Points 21.6 Assists 3.2 Shooting .520