FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 1, 2016
CONTACT Miquel Jacobs // Assistant Director, Communications & Creative Services // @MiquelJ
WCC Announces Women’s Basketball All-Conference Team
SAN BRUNO, Calif. – BYU senior guard Lexi Rydalch was named the West Coast Conference Player of
the Year after a season that saw her become the WCC’s all-time leading scorer while leading the Cougars
to the regular season title. San Diego junior Maya Hood earned Defensive Player of the Year accolades,
BYU junior Kalani Purcwell was tabbed the Newcomer of the Year and Cougars head coach Jeff Judkins
was selected as the Coach of the Year as announced Tuesday by the league office.
All four individual awards - along with the All-West Coast Conference Teams and the All-Freshman Team
- were voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.
Rydalch, the most prolific scorer in WCC history with 2,437 career points, earned the conference’s top
honor after averaging a league-best 24.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. The fifth active
leading scorer in the NCAA, Rydalch earned four double-doubles this year after leading BYU to last year’s
WCC Tournament championship. Rydalch is the third straight Cougar to capture Player of the Year
honors, joining former teammates Morgan Bailey (2015) and Jennifer Hamson (2014).
Hood earned Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the WCC with 2.5 steals per game while
also pulling down 5.1 defensive rebounds per game. Hood averaged 14.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per
game – second-most in the conference – to pace San Diego. Hood is the second straight Torero to earn
Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining former teammate Sophia Ederaine who took home the award
last season.
Purcell, a JC transfer form Hutchinson Community College, took the league by storm in her first season at
BYU. The Hamilton, New Zealand native was the only player in the conference to average a doubledouble with her 11.6 points and 12.5 rebounds per game averages. Her 9.3 defensive rebounds per game
ranked second in the NCAA this season. The triple-double threat also led the league in assists at 4.8 per
game while collecting a total of 16 double-doubles on the year.
Jeff Judkins put together a 16-2 season to lead BYU to its first WCC regular season title. The Cougars
reeled off 16 consecutive wins in conference play, setting a new program mark for longest winning streak
th
in BYU history. The 24-5 regular season record marked Judkins’s 10 season of 20 or more wins at BYU.
Of the 10-member All-WCC First Team, five appeared on the 2015-16 preseason All-WCC squad.
Rydalch makes her third consecutive appearance on the All-WCC First Team. Malina Hood of San Diego,
Lauren Nicholson of Saint Mary’s and Taylor Proctor of San Francisco are all making their second straight
appearances.
All 10 West Coast Conference teams head to Las Vegas to compete for the 2016 West Coast Conference
Basketball Championship and subsequent automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Tournament action
tips off Thursday, March 3 at the Orleans Arena.
Player of the Year: Lexi Rydalch, BYU
Coach of the Year: Jeff Judkins, BYU
Defensive Player of the Year: Maya Hood, San Diego
Newcomer of the Year: Kalani Purcell, BYU
2015-16 WEST COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL FIRST TEAM
Name
School
Year
Position
Jill Barta
Gonzaga
R-Fr.
F
Marie Bertholdt
Santa Clara
Jr.
F
Hailie Eackles
Pacific
Sr.
G
Malina Hood
San Diego
Sr.
G
Lauren Nicholson
Saint Mary’s
Sr.
G
Erica Ogwumike
Pepperdine
Fr.
G
Lori Parkinson
Santa Clara
Jr.
F
Taylor Proctor
San Francisco
Sr.
F
Kalani Purcell
BYU
Jr.
F
Lexi Rydalch
BYU
Sr.
G
2015-16 WEST COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SECOND TEAM
Name
School
Year
Position
Stella Beck
Saint Mary’s
Soph.
G
Zhane Dikes
San Francisco
Sr.
G
Maya Hood
San Diego
Jr.
F
Makenzi Pulsipher
BYU
Jr.
G
Sophie Taylor
Loyola Marymount
Sr.
F
2015-16 WCC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HONORABLE MENTION
Devon Brookshire, Saint Mary’s; Shelby Cheslek, Gonzaga; Desire Finnie, Pacific; Rachel Howard, San
Francisco; Devin Hudson, Santa Clara; Kylie Maeda, BYU; Kaylie Van Loo, Portland
2015-16 WEST COAST CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALL FRESHMAN TEAM
Name
School
Year
Position
Jill Barta
Gonzaga
Fr.
F
Savanna Hanson
Santa Clara
Fr.
G
Erica Ogwumike
Pepperdine
Fr.
G
Sydney Raggio
Saint Mary’s
Fr.
F
Cheyanne Wallace
Loyola Marymount
Fr.
F