March 28, 2012
ST. LOUIS -
Sophomore Alyssa Thomas of the Maryland women's basketball team earned All-America honors from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Wednesday. She was named an AP First Team All-American Tuesday.
Thomas is joined on the USBWA All-America Team by Elena Delle Donne (Delaware), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Chelsea Gray (Duke), Brittney Griner (Baylor), Shenise Johnson (Miami), A'dia Mathies (Kentucky), Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Stanford), Samantha Prahalis (Ohio State), and Odyssey Sims (Baylor). She is one of just three underclassmen honored and was the only underclassman named to the AP First Team.
Thomas, the 2012 ACC Player of the Year, is the Terrapins' sixth USBWA All-American, following Marissa Coleman, Kristi Toliver, Crystal Langhorne, Deanna Tate and Vicky Bullett. Thomas is the second sophomore in school history, behind Langhorne, to earn the honor.
Thomas led the ACC in scoring with 17.2 points per game - the second-best average among all Maryland sophomores. She finished the year among the best in the league with 8.0 rebounds per game, assists (3.2), free throw percentage (80.1) and defensive rebounds (5.5).
She was named to the NCAA Raleigh Regional All-Tournament Team Tuesday night after averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in the Terps' NCAA Tournament run.
Thomas is just the second underclassman ever to be named ACC Player of the Year. She scored a career-high 29 points in the ACC title game to lead Maryland to its 10th league championship. She was named Tournament MVP and is only the seventh player, and first underclassman, to be named league Player of the Year and Tournament MVP in the same season.
Maryland (31-5) ended its season winning 10 of its last 11 games. The Terrapins won the program's 10th ACC title earlier this month and notched the fourth 30-win season in school history. They advanced to their ninth Elite Eight and fourth in head coach Brenda Frese's 10 years.
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