Five C-USA Players Are Finalists for the Kodak/WBCA All-America Women's Basketball Team

Charlene Smith

DePaul's Khara Smith and Charlene Smith, Houston's Chandi Jones, Louisville's Sara Nord and TCU's Sandora Irvin have been named finalists for the 2004 Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team.



The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and Eastman Kodak Company today announced the finalists for the 2004 NCAA Division I Kodak/WBCA All-America Basketball Team. WBCA head coach members from each of the eight WBCA geographical regions determine finalists. Once selected, all finalists are considered for Kodak/WBCA All-America Team honors.

Among the 48 finalists are DePaul's Khara and Charlene Smith, Houston’s Chandi Jones, Louisville’s Sara Nord and TCU’s Sandora Irvin.

The Smith cousins have led the nation's highest scoring offense to a 22-6 record. Khara checks in with 20.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game while Charlene is second on the team with 17.5 points per game and leads the club with 121 free throws. Charlene is also second on the team in assists and third in steals. Prior to last week's Conference USA Tournament, Khara picked up first team All-Conference USA honors while Charlene was named to the second team.

Jones has helped Houston become only the second team in league history to claim the regular season crown and C-USA Tournament title. She currently leads the league and ranks third in the nation with 22.5 points per game. On Feb. 15, Jones became the all-time scoring leader in C-USA history and currently has 2,640 points. This season, Jones has tallied four 30-plus point performances and has reached double-figure scoring in all 132 games of her collegiate career.

Nord becomes the first Louisville player to ever receive this honor. She leads the team in scoring with 17.4 points, while ranking first in the conference in assists for the fourth straight season (6.5 pg). Nord is also the school and league's career assist leader with 845.

Irvin, C-USA’s two-time Defensive Player of the Year, currently ranks third nationally in rebounds (12.3) and fourth with 4.0 blocks per game. She is the league’s career block leader with 327 and is now only 15 blocks away from breaking her own C-USA single-season record for blocks (128) set last season.

"This year's finalists are an incredibly talented group of players," said WBCA CEO, Beth Bass. "They are also special because they are being considered for the 30th Anniversary Kodak/WBCA All-America Team. I am excited to see who will be selected as our final ten."

"Kodak has proudly sponsored the Kodak Women's All-America Basketball Team for 30 years," said Bud Denker, Director & VP of Brand & Market Development at Kodak. "Kodak recognizes the accomplishments of young athletes and the positive recognition they bring to their school by displaying their talents on the basketball floor."

The NCAA Division I Kodak/WBCA All-America Women's Basketball Team will be announced during the Kodak/WBCA All-America Team Press Conference at the New Orleans Hyatt on Saturday, April 3.

In addition to the Kodak/WBCA recognition, Khara Smith was selected as one of 16 finalists for the John R. Wooden Women's Award. The sophomore will go on the official voting ballot for the 2004 Wooden Women's Award All-American Team and Player of the Year. Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball.. This season will be the first Women's Wooden Award presentation. Smith and LSU's Seimone Augustus are the lone sophomores among the 16 finalists. The Wooden All-America Team and Player of the Year will be announced on April 8 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Region 1
Jacqueline Batteast, Notre Dame
Rebekkah Brunson, Georgetown
Amber Jacobs, Boston College
Cathy Joens, George Washington
Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers
Diana Taurasi, Connecticut

Region 2
Alana Beard, Duke
Kaayla Chones, N.C. State
Katie Feenstra, Liberty
Camille Little, North Carolina
Lakeia Stokes, Clemson
Iciss Tillis, Duke

Region 3
Seimone Augustus, LSU
Shameka Christon, Arkansas
Shyra Ely, Tennessee
Vanessa Hayden, Florida
Christi Thomas, Georgia
Le'Coe Willingham, Auburn

Region 4
Sandora Irvin, TCU
Chandi Jones, Houston
Sara Nord, Louisville
Casey Rost, Western Michigan
Charlene Smith, DePaul
Khara Smith, DePaul

Region 5
Tera Bjorklund, Colorado
Nicole Ohlde, Kansas State
Heather Schreiber, Texas
Stacy Stephens, Texas
Evan Unrau, Missouri
Kendra Wecker, Kansas State

Region 6
Kari Koch Southwest Missouri State
Kelly Mazzante, Penn State
Janel McCarville, Minnesota
Maria Viall, UW-Milwaukee
Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota
Shereka Wright, Purdue

Region 7
Amisha Carter, Louisiana Tech
Trina Frierson, Louisiana Tech
RanDee Henry, UNLV
Sherry McCracklin, UNLV
Kathleen Nygaard, Eastern Washington
Kim Smith, Utah

Region 8
Emily Faurholt, Idaho
Ebony Hoffman, USC
Kristen Mann, UC-Santa Barbara
Giuliana Mendiola,Washington
Shawntinice Polk, Arizona
Nicole Powell, Stanford