April 4, 2011
What a season it was. The 2010-11 University of Miami women’s basketball team did things never before done in program history and the team and some of the individuals on the squad got a chance to reap the rewards.
At the end of the 2009-10 regular season, the ‘Canes were 17-12 overall and were the No. 12 seed in the ACC Tournament with a 4-10 conference record. After its overtime loss to Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC Tournament, Miami accepted a bid to the WNIT. The Hurricanes rattled off five consecutive wins and reached the championship game. Even though they would fall at Cal in the final, the table had been set for the next season.
This past October at the annual ACC Media Day in Greensboro, N.C., the conference’s preseason poll was announced and the ‘Canes were pegged to finish the season eighth in the league.
We know now that didn’t happen.
After a loss at No. 23 Nebraska in the season’s second game, Miami won 17 straight games. Eventually, the Hurricanes finished the regular season atop the ACC with a 12-2 conference mark and were 26-3 overall. They even finshed the year 20-0 inside the BankUnited Center and currently hold an overall 24-game home win streak – tied for the longest in program history. The regular season title was the first for Miami since it joined the ACC in 2004 as the Hurricnanes earned a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.
The ‘Canes were then selected as a No. 3 seed to the NCAA Tournament, returning to the dance for the first time since 2004. Miami earned its first victory in the tourney since 1993, easily handling Gardner-Webb, 80-62. The ‘Canes then fell to a very talented Oklahoma team led by All-America point guard Danielle Robinson in the second round in one of the season’s most exciting games, 88-83.
Miami was one of seven teams in the nation that didn’t have a single senior on the roster. Clearly the future looks bright.
Below is a list of individual and team accolades from the past season:
Team
ACC Regular Season Champions
No. 3 Seed in the NCAA Tournament
First NCAA Tournament Win Since 1993
Individual
Meier Named AP Coach of the Year
Johnson Named to WBCA/State Farm All-America Team
Johnson Named to USBWA All-America Team
Johnson Named Full Court Press Second Team All-America
Johnson Named Associated Press Third Team All-America
Meier Named RUSSELL ATHLETICS/WBCA Region 2 Coach of the Year
Yderstrom Earns All-ACC Academic Team Honors
Miami Sweeps ACC Coach and Player of the Year Awards
Johnson Named to All-ACC Defensive Team
Miami’s Johnson and Williams Named First Team All-ACC
Johnson Grabs Second Consecutive ACC Player of the Week Honor
Johnson Gets ACC Honor After Hurricanes’ Big Week
Williams Earns Fourth ACC Player of the Week Award of Season
Miami’s Williams Earns Third ACC Player of the Week Honor
Johnson named ACC Player of the Week
Miami’s Williams Tabbed ACC Player of the Week
Miami’s Williams Named ACC Player of the Week
Johnson, Williams Honored Prior to Leading Miami to Win
Williams Nets 1,000th Point to Lead Hurricanes