By EMILY NIPPS, Associated Press
Published April 4, 2004
NEW ORLEANS - Guard Alana Beard, who leads top-ranked Duke in scoring, blocks and steals, was named Associated Press player of the year on Saturday. Houston coach Joe Curl was named coach of the year.
"I've been blessed," Beard said. "I know for a fact I wouldn't have what I have without my teammates."
Beard, Penn State's Kelly Mazzante, Stanford's Nicole Powell and UConn's Diana Taurasi were named WBCA All-Americans for the third year, while Kansas State's Nicole Ohlde and Minnesota's Lindsay Whalen were named for the second year. Tennessee's Shyra Ely, LSU's Seimone Augustus, Minnesota's Janel McCarville and Houston's Chandi Jones were also named.
Curl guided Houston to a school record for victories in a 28-4 season.
"It's really about the players, and I really, truly mean that," he said.
POPULAR WHALEN: Shrines, bobbleheads and even a marriage proposal (from an 11-year-old) are some of the bizarre overtures made to Whalen in the past couple of weeks. Gophers coach Pam Borton said Whalen was as popular as Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves in Minnesota. "She's just as popular, if not more popular, than some of the pro athletes there."
Whalen has taken her following in stride, praising fans for being supportive and fun. She said one of the more surreal things she has seen lately are fans urging her to run for office.
"There was a sign that this one guy, he is at every game, he wants me to run for some kind of city council and he's always holding up the sign," Whalen said. "And it looks like a real sign that you would put in your yard."
Asked if she was a Democrat or Republican, Whalen clammed up. Politics are clearly not on her mind right now. SUMMITT ON "THE DUNK": Some coaches and analysts have hinted that the attention surrounding Tennessee signee Candace Parker winning the slam-dunk competition might alter the way most people see women's basketball, with fundamentals being the bread and butter. Vols coach Pat Summitt sees that as a good thing.
"We're still trying to educate people to the level of play in women's basketball and the capabilities of a lot of these players," Summitt said. "Candace is a player that, unlike what we have seen in the past . . . can play above the rim. I think that can do nothing but draw attention to our sport."
