TEMPE, Ariz. – For the second time in three years the Arizona State women's basketball program finished among the nation's best in combined team GPA as the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced its annual Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll on Wednesday. With a final team GPA of 3.672 for the 2016-17 academic year the Sun Devils finished fifth in the nation among Division I institutions, the highest ranking in program history.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA and junior/community college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2016-17 season is the 22nd in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
ASU's No. 5 finish in this year's rankings represents the second time in three seasons the Sun Devils have been among the top 10 programs in the country after placing seventh (3.558) for the 2014-15 academic year. In 2016-17 ASU was one of only eight teams around the country to be included in the WBCA's Top 25 and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Of those eight, ASU and DePaul were the only two schools to advance past the first round.
"I could not be more proud of our team's academic performance over the past year," ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "When a student-athlete joins our Sun Devil family they make a commitment to giving their absolute best in all their endeavors as both students and athletes. This outstanding accomplishment just speaks to that pledge and how much they value performing at a high level in the classroom."
Wednesday's news is the most recent for a program replete with stories of high academic achievement. In May it was announced Sun Devil Women's Basketball was one of six ASU teams that recorded a perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 1000 for the 2015-16 academic year. The NCAA APR has been used to measure academic achievement for all Division I sports teams.
In March the Sun Devils had two players earn Pac-12 First-Team All-Academic recognition (Kelsey Moos and Quinn Dornstauder), one player earn second-team honors (Sophie Brunner) and three players named honorable mention (Sabrina Haines, Kianna Ibis and Charnea Johnson-Chapman). ASU was the only Pac-12 school with two first-team honorees and led all Pac-12 schools with three combined first- and second-team honorees.
Moos became only the 11th player in Pac-10/12 history (going back to 1986-87) to earn conference first-team recognition three straight years. Brunner was also eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors after being one of five players named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® VIII Team in February.
Since the 1996-97 season, Turner Thorne's first season at ASU, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in the number of first-team All-Academic conference awards (21) and the combined number of first- and second-team All-Academic conference awards (43).
On the court the team has been every bit as successful. The Sun Devils are coming off their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance as they advanced to the second round of NCAAs where they nearly upset eventual national champion South Carolina on its home floor after taking a one-point lead into the game's final minute. Turner Thorne, who posted her 400th win as ASU's head coach in March, will return for her 21st season and will lead a squad that will look to match the school record of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and five straight 20-win seasons.
Season tickets for the 2017-18 campaign start at just $49. Deposits are now being accepted so fans can secure their seats for all the action. For more information call 480-965-5812.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III; NAIA and junior/community college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2016-17 season is the 22nd in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
ASU's No. 5 finish in this year's rankings represents the second time in three seasons the Sun Devils have been among the top 10 programs in the country after placing seventh (3.558) for the 2014-15 academic year. In 2016-17 ASU was one of only eight teams around the country to be included in the WBCA's Top 25 and qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Of those eight, ASU and DePaul were the only two schools to advance past the first round.
"I could not be more proud of our team's academic performance over the past year," ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne said. "When a student-athlete joins our Sun Devil family they make a commitment to giving their absolute best in all their endeavors as both students and athletes. This outstanding accomplishment just speaks to that pledge and how much they value performing at a high level in the classroom."
Wednesday's news is the most recent for a program replete with stories of high academic achievement. In May it was announced Sun Devil Women's Basketball was one of six ASU teams that recorded a perfect Academic Progress Rate (APR) score of 1000 for the 2015-16 academic year. The NCAA APR has been used to measure academic achievement for all Division I sports teams.
In March the Sun Devils had two players earn Pac-12 First-Team All-Academic recognition (Kelsey Moos and Quinn Dornstauder), one player earn second-team honors (Sophie Brunner) and three players named honorable mention (Sabrina Haines, Kianna Ibis and Charnea Johnson-Chapman). ASU was the only Pac-12 school with two first-team honorees and led all Pac-12 schools with three combined first- and second-team honorees.
Moos became only the 11th player in Pac-10/12 history (going back to 1986-87) to earn conference first-team recognition three straight years. Brunner was also eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-American honors after being one of five players named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® VIII Team in February.
Since the 1996-97 season, Turner Thorne's first season at ASU, the Sun Devils lead the Pac-12 in the number of first-team All-Academic conference awards (21) and the combined number of first- and second-team All-Academic conference awards (43).
On the court the team has been every bit as successful. The Sun Devils are coming off their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance as they advanced to the second round of NCAAs where they nearly upset eventual national champion South Carolina on its home floor after taking a one-point lead into the game's final minute. Turner Thorne, who posted her 400th win as ASU's head coach in March, will return for her 21st season and will lead a squad that will look to match the school record of five consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and five straight 20-win seasons.
Season tickets for the 2017-18 campaign start at just $49. Deposits are now being accepted so fans can secure their seats for all the action. For more information call 480-965-5812.