Miami's Johnson and Williams Named First Team All-ACC

March 1, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The University of Miami leads all Atlantic Coast Conference teams in placing three of its student-athletes on the 2011 All-ACC Women’s Basketball Team, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday. Juniors Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams earned first team honors, while sophomore Morgan Stroman represents the `Canes on the third team.

“We are extremely blessed to have three of the Top 15 players in the ACC on our team,” said Miami head coach Katie Meier. “This conference is always loaded with the nation’s best talent and to have two first team selections and a third-teamer shows you how special this Miami team truly is.”

The three All-ACC selections for the 10th-ranked Hurricanes are the most of any team in conference.

Johnson was a first team selection a season ago and was also represented on the 2010-11 Preseason All-ACC Team in October. After her first season in 2008-09, the Henrietta, N.Y. native was named Honorable Mention All-ACC and to the ACC All-Freshman team.

Johnson ended the regular season as the only player in the ACC to rank in the Top 10 in scoring (2nd, 19.6 ppg), rebounding (8th, 7.8 rpg) and assists (9th, 3.7 apg). The dynamic guard also was named the ACC Player of the Week on three occasions this season.

Williams was the ACC’s leading scorer at 21.7 points per game. In conference play, her scoring average increased to 24.0 points per game. Known as one of the most explosive guards in the country, Williams was named the ACC Player of the Week four times this season. Her six career weekly nods are the most of all current ACC players.

The backcourt duo became the first Miami pair to garner first team all-conference honors since Frances Savage and Vicki Plowden accomplished the feat in the BIG EAST following the 1991-92 season.

Stroman finished the regular season averaging 13.4 points per game while her team with 8.2 rebounds per contest – the sixth highest mark in the conference. The athletic forward led all Miami players with 10 double-doubles on the season, which was the highest total of any player in the conference 6-foot-1 or under.

Stroman, Johnson and Williams ranked 1-2-3 in the conference in steals with 3.3, 3.2 and 3.0 thefts per game respectively. In fact, Miami was the only team in the nation that featured three players that averaged 3.0 or more steals per game.

“I always say players make plays and these three have made plenty of plays for us this season and are absolutely the reason we are in the position we are today,” added Meier.

The ACC will announce its all-freshman team, freshman of the year, defensive team, defensive player of the year, coach of the year and player of the year later this week.

The All-ACC teams are voted on by the league’s head coaches and the “Blue Ribbon Panel”, which consists of national and local media members, as well as school representatives.

Honorable Mention (15 or more votes)
Jessica Breland, North Carolina; Laura Broomfield, North Carolina; Cetera DeGraffenreid, North Carolina; Chelsea Gray, Duke; Marissa Kastanek, NC State.