Miami's Johnson and Williams Named WBCA All-America Finalists

March 23, 2011

ATLANTA  – The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in cooperation with State Farm®, today announced that Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams were among the finalists for the 2011 NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team.

The 40 finalists, who are voted upon by WBCA-member coaches in each of the eight WBCA geographical regions, are now in the running for selection to the 10-member State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team.

Johnson, the ACC Player of the Year, 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 each earned First-Team All-ACC accolades, becoming 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.

The guards led the `Canes to a 28-5 record and their first Top 10 AP ranking since the 1991-92 season – the 28 wins rank as the second-most in the program’s 39-year history. Miami earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and with its 80-62 win over Gardner-Webb on March 20, earned its first tourney victory since 1993.

The 2011 NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team will be announced at 9 a.m. EDT Saturday, April 2, in Indianapolis during the WBCA National Convention, which is being held in conjunction with the 2011 NCAA® Women’s Final Four®. 

The finalists are: