COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Gonzaga's Ejim named AP honorable mention All-American
After just recently being named West Coast Conference Player and Defensive Player of the Year, senior Yvonne Ejim was selected as an AP All-American Honorable Mention the outlet announced Wednesday.
Ejim, a first-time honoree, was recently named the 2024 WCC Player of the Year along with Defensive Player of the Year. Ejim has been unstoppable offensively this season, bringing unmatched consistency and prowess. Despite missing a pair of Conference games while representing Canada in an Olympic qualifying tournament, Ejim led the Bulldogs and the league in scoring at 20 points per game, which was good enough for 22nd in the country. She has scored in double figures in 35-straight games, dating back to last season. Ejim also led the WCC and is sixth in the nation in field goal percentage at 62.8 percent. She has scored double figures in every game so far this season and has recorded 13 double-doubles.
Ejim is the eighth Zag to earn Associated Press All-America accolades, joining Shannon Mathews (2005), Stephanie Hawk (2007), Courtney Vandersloot (2009, 2010, 2011), Haiden Palmer (2014), Jill Townsend (2021), Jenn Wirth (2021), and Kaylynne Truong (2023), all of whom were all selected honorable mention during their respective seasons.
FIRST TEAM:
Caitlin Clark, Iowa, 6-0; Senior; West Des Moines, Iowa; 31.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists (35 of 35 first place votes, 175 points*)
Cameron Brink, Stanford; 6-4; Senior; Beaverton, Ore.; 17.8 points, 12 rebounds 2.9 assists (33, 171)
JuJu Watkins, USC; 6-2; Freshman; Los Angeles; 27 points, 7.2 rebounds 3.2 assists (33, 169)
Paige Bueckers, UConn; 6-0; Junior; Hopkins, Minn.; 21.3, 4.8 rebounds, 53.8% field goal percentage (19, 141)
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame; 5-6; Freshman; Haddonfield, N.J.; 23.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists (19, 139)
*-unanimous selection
SECOND TEAM:
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech; 6-6; Senior; Summerfield, N.C.; 22.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 55.6% field goal percentage (16, 131)
Angel Reese, LSU; 6-3; Junior; Baltimore, Md.; 19 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists (12, 123)
Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina; 6-7; Senior; Montes Claros, Brazil; 14 points, 9.5 rebounds, 58.4% field goal percentage (5, 105)
Madison Booker, Texas; 6-1; Freshman; Ridgeland, Miss.; 16.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists (1, 62)
Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State; 5-10; Senior; Dublin, Ohio; 18 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists (1, 52)
THIRD TEAM:
Alissa Pili, Utah; 6-2; Senior; Anchorage, Alaska; 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 54.8% field goal percentage (0, 51)
Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana; 6-3; Senior; Gorham, Maine; 20 points, 6.9 rebounds, 66.7% field goal percentage (1, 31)
Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech; 5-6; Senior; Ballarat, Australia; 19.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.9 assists (0, 31)
Dyaisha Fair, Syracuse; 5-5; Senior; Rochester, N.Y.; 22 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists (0, 30)
Raegan Beers, Oregon State; 6-4; Sophomore; Littleton, Colo.; 17.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 66% field goal percentage (0, 26)
HONORABLE MENTION:
Lauren Betts, UCLA; Audi Crooks, Iowa State; Aaliyah Edwards, UConn; Yvonne Ejim Gonzaga; Lauren Gustin, BYU; McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State; Abbey Hsu, Columbia; Kiki Iriafen, Stanford; Rickea Jackson, Tennessee; Ta'Niya Latson, Florida State; Ayoka Lee, Kansas State; Cotie McMahon, Ohio State; Aneesah Morrow, LSU; Nika Muhl, UConn; Lucy Olsen, Villanova; Charisma Osborne, UCLA; Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina; JJ Quinerly, West Virginia; Saniya Rivers, North Carolina State; Kiki Rice, UCLA; Jaylyn Sherrod, Colorado; Skylar Vann, Oklahoma.