March 13, 2000

RALEIGH, N.C. - Two Southeastern Conference stars highlighted the list of award-winners issued by The Women's Basketball Journal. Kelly Miller, Georgia's standout junior guard, was tabbed as the 1999-2000 WBJ National Player of the Year, and Mississippi State's LaToya Thomas was named the Freshman of the Year by the newspaper's editors.

"We depend on Kelly for so many things," noted Georgia head coach Andy Landers. "She obviously has the ability to run the team from the point guard position, but she goes way beyond that.

"There aren't many point guards who are counted on to rebound. The great thing about Kelly is that if we tell her before a game that we need her to rebound, she'll go out and get eight, nine or 10 rebounds for us. I can't tell you how many times we've told the team during a timeout, 'We have to get a rebound,' or 'We have to make a deflection,' and then Kelly would go out and do it for us. It's like dial-a-request with Kelly."

Rene Portland, who guided Penn State to its first outright Big Ten title this season, was named the WBJ National Coach of the Year. In addition, Tennessee's Semeka Randall was chosen as the National Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season.

The Women's Basketball Journal has covered the sport on all levels for the past three years.

• Player of the Year: Kelly Miller, Jr., G, Georgia
• Coach of the Year: Rene Portland, Penn State
• Freshman of the Year: LaToya Thomas, F, Mississippi State
• Defensive Player of the Year: Semeka Randall, Jr., G, Tennessee

WBJ Defensive All-Americans

These 10 players were named the best defenders of the country following an informal poll of Division I head coaches from across the country. Tennessee's Semeka Randall was tabbed as the nation's finest defensive player for the second consecutive year, edging out Tamicha Jackson of Louisiana Tech for the honor.

Player	Cl.	Pos.	Ht.	School
Erin Batth	Jr.	C	6-4	Clemson
Peppi Browne	Sr.	F	5-11	Duke
Helen Darling	Sr.	G	5-7	Penn State
Tamicha Jackson	Sr.	G	5-6	La. Tech
Nicole Kubik	Sr.	G	5-10	Nebraska
Katrisa O'Neal	Jr.	G	5-6	Texas Tech
Semeka Randall	Jr.	G	5-10	Tennessee
Ruth Riley	Jr.	C	6-5	Notre Dame
Stacey Thomas	Sr.	G	5-10	Michigan
Shaquala Williams	So.	G	5-6	Oregon

WBJ Freshmen All-Americans

Here are the Top 10 freshmen in the nation during the 1999-2000 season according to the WBJ editors. LaToya Thomas, who keyed Mississippi State's tremendous season, was an overwhelming choice as America's top freshman.

Player	Pos.	Ht.	School	Hometown	Key Statistics
Jamie Carey	G	5-6	Stanford	Thornton, Colo.	10.8 pts., 3.0 assists, 2.0 reb., 43.5 FG%, 46.9 3FG%
Schuye LaRue	F	6-3	Virginia	Washington, D.C.	14.6 pts., 8.0 reb., 59.2 FG%
Kara Lawson	G	5-9	Tennessee	Springfield, Va.	14.1 pts., 4.3 reb., 2.8 assists, 47.4 FG%, 45.6 3FG%, 81.8 FT%
Kristin Koetsier	C	6-3	Western Mich.	Grandville, Mich.	18.8 pts., 9.5 reb., 1.7 assists, 52.5 FG%, 80.1 FT%
Plenette Pierson	F	6-1	Texas Tech	Kingwood, Tex.	13.8 pts., 6.9 reb., 53.2 FG%
Alicia Ratay	G	5-11	Notre Dame	Lake Zurich, Ill.	15.1 pts., 5.1 reb., 2.3 assists, 51.5 FG%, 49.2 3FG%, 82.4 FT%
Kate Smith	C	6-2	Nevada	Reno, Nev.	19.1 pts., 8.0 reb., 1.6 assists, 49.2 FG%
LaToya Thomas	F	6-2	Miss. State	Greenville, Miss.	20.7 pts., 7.8 reb., 56.8 FG%
LaToya Turner	F	6-4	Ohio State	Pickerington, Ohio	11.3 pts., 5.9 reb., 48.8 FG%
LeCoe Willingham	F	6-0	Auburn	Augusta, Ga.	11.3 pts., 7.6 reb., 49.6 FG%

1999-2000 WBJ All-Americans

FIRST TEAM		Cl.	Ht.	College	Hometown	Key Statistics
F	Tamika Catchings	Jr.	6-1	Tennessee	Duncanville, Tex.	15.5 pts., 7.5 reb., 2.7 assists, 2.6 steals, 46.6 FG%
F	Shea Ralph	Jr.	6-0	Connecticut	Fayetteville, N.C.	14.7 pts., 5.0 assists, 3.7 reb., 2.6 steals, 63.0 FG%, 80.0 FT%
C	Ruth Riley	Jr.	6-5	Notre Dame	Macy, Ind.	16.0 pts., 7.1 reb., 2.3 blocks, 61.1 FG%, 81.9 FT%
G	Edwina Brown	Sr.	5-10	Texas	Lockhart, Tex.	21.5 pts., 8.3 reb., 6.0 assists, 2.9 steals, 47.3 FG%
G	Kelly Miller	Jr.	5-10	Georgia	Rochester, Minn.	15.4 pts., 4.7 assists, 4.5 reb., 2.2 steals, 44.9 FG%, 81.9 FT%
SECOND TEAM		Cl.	Ht.	College	Hometown	Key Statistics
F	Erin Buescher	Jr.	6-3	UC-Santa Barbara	Rohnert Park, Calif.	17.6 pts., 9.5 reb., 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 51.6 FG%
F	Phylesha Whaley	Sr.	5-10	Oklahoma	Slaton, Tex.	20.6 pts, 8.3 reb., 53.6 FG%
C	Andrea Garner	Sr.	6-3	Penn State	Philadelphia, Pa.	14.8 pts., 8.6 reb., 2.1 blocks, 47.4 FG%
G	Grace Daley	Sr.	5-8	Tulane	Ocala, Fla.	21.3 pts., 6.0 reb., 3.9 assists, 2.3 steals, 48.3 FG%
G	Helen Darling	Sr.	5-7	Penn State	Columbus, Ohio	10.3 pts., 7.7 assists, 5.4 reb., 3.0 steals, 40.0 FG%
THIRD TEAM		Cl.	Ht.	College	Hometown	Key Statistics
F	Svetlana Abrosimova	Jr.	6-2	Connecticut	St. Petersburg, Russia	13.4 pts., 6.2 reb., 3.8 assists, 49.5 FG%
F	Lynn Pride	Sr.	6-2	Kansas	Arlington, Tex.	17.5 pts., 8.2 reb., 2.9 assists, 2.7 steals, 44.5 FG%
C	Summer Erb	Sr.	6-6	N.C. State	Lakewood, Ohio	15.8 pts., 8.4 reb., 55.5 FG%
G	Marie Ferdinand	Jr.	5-9	LSU	Miami, Fla.	17.4 pts., 5.3 assists, 4.6 reb., 2.6 steals, 49.4 FG%
G	Jackie Stiles	Jr.	5-8	SW Missouri St.	Claflin, Kan.	27.0 pts., 4.4 reb., 2.1 assists, 48.8 FG%, 46.2 3FG%, 86.0 FT%
FOURTH TEAM		Cl.	Ht.	College	Hometown	Key Statistics
F	LaToya Thomas	Fr.	6-2	Miss. State	Greenville, Miss.	20.7 pts., 7.8 reb., 56.8 FG%
F	Katie Douglas	Jr.	6-1	Purdue	Indianapolis, Ind.	21.3 pts., 6.5 reb., 4.7 assists, 2.5 steals, 44.0 FG%, 82.9 FT%
C	Janell Burse	Jr.	6-5	Tulane	New Orleans, La.	19.8 pts., 10.1 reb., 2.8 blocks, 59.7 FG%
G	Semeka Randall	Jr.	5-10	Tennessee	Cleveland, Ohio	14.2 pts., 5.1 reb., 1.8 steals, 42.9 FG%
G	Sue Bird	So.	5-9	Connecticut	Syosset, N.Y.	10.6 pts., 4.5 assists, 2.6 reb., 50.5 FG%, 48.6 3FG%, 88.9 FT%
FIFTH TEAM		Cl.	Ht.	College	Hometown	Key Statistics
F	Maylana Martin	Sr.	6-3	UCLA	Perris, Calif.	17.4 pts., 8.5 reb., 54.9 FG%
F	Karalyn Church	Sr.	6-0	Vermont	Guelph, Ontario	20.2 pts., 7.9 reb., 2.1 steals, 64.8 FG%
C	Jamie Cassidy	Sr.	6-4	Maine	Methuen, Mass.	21.2 pts., 9.0 reb., 2.6 blocks, 51.9 FG%, 82.0 FT%
G	Betty Lenox	Sr.	5-8	La. Tech	Independence, Mo.	17.6 pts., 6.2 reb., 3.5 assists, 3.0 steals, 47.3 FG%, 80.0 FT%
G	Linda Frohlich	So.	6-0	UNLV	Oldendorf, Germany	21.9 pts., 11.3 reb., 4.0 assists, 3.4 steals, 46.7 FG%

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