WBB | Four Gaels Receive All-WCC Honors
3/2/2022 10:25:00 AM | Women's Basketball
SAN MATEO, Calif. - Saint Mary's Women's Basketball had four players earn WCC All-Conference Honors for the 2021-22 season including a big individual award for Ali Bamberger. The redshirt sophomore took home the WCC Newcomer of the Year Award in her first season of competition as a Gael after transferring from the University of Washington.
The Walnut Creek, Calif. native was also named to the WCC All-Conference First Team after she sat out last year while rehabbing a knee injury that took two surgeries and 16 months of rehab. She returned to play to finish with 15.6 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game while starting all 29 contests for Saint Mary's this season.
She was named the WCC player of the week on December 6, 2021 after putting up 22 points and 20 rebounds against Fresno State and 25 points and 19 boards against San Jose State. It was the first time a Gael recorded a 20-point, 20-rebound game since Danielle Mauldin in December of 2013 vs. Gonzaga. Bamberger finished the season with nine double-doubles and had five other occassions of being just one rebound shy of a double-double. She finished sixth in WCC play in points per game, second in rebounds per game, and led the Gaels in blocked shots.
At the Gaels first official practice of the season, Bamberger commented on the process of coming back from the injury. "I'd say the rehab process last year taught me perseverance that I wouldn't have been able to learn without it," Bamberger noted. "It makes you hungry. Being away from the game for so long makes you excited to play."
Taycee Wedin was named to the All-WCC Second Team after being named WCC Honorable Mention the two previous seaons. She crossed the 1,000-point mark for her career in December and eclipsed the career three point record at Saint Mary's and in the history of the WCC this season. The Milwaukie, Ore. native now has 301 career three pointers made at a 41.4% clip for a remarkable combo of volume and efficiency and was already the record holder for three pointers in a season at SMC with 104. She averaged a career high 13.4 poins per game and scored 20 or more points in nine games this season.
Madeline Holland was named WCC Honorable Mention after being the Gaels rock all season, as that steady, dependable leader who averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while leading the Gaels in assists and field goal percentage. The Burlingame, Calif. native recorded three double-doubles on the year and led the WCC in free throw percentage. Along with her clutch shooting at the free-throw line, she hit the game-tying three pointer in the season finale at USF to force OT in the Gaels 92-88 win to seal up the fifth seed in the WCC tournament.
Freshman Makena Mastora earned WCC All-Freshman Team honors as her role kept increasing as the season went on, earning more and more playing time as she became more comfortable at the collegiate level. She started six games overall including the Gaels final five contests of the season and recorded 16 steals on the year. The Alameda, Calif. native scored in double figures five times on the campaign with a career-high 12 points vs. Gonzaga, and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds against Portland.
The Gaels begin play in the WCC Tournament this Friday at 12:00 p.m. against either LMU or Pepperdine.
WCC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS
Player of the Year
Shaylee Gonzales
Defensive Player of the Year
Jordyn Edwards, San Diego
Sixth Woman of the Year
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Newcomer of the Year
Ali Bamberger, Saint Mary's
Coach of the Year
Jeff Judkins, BYU
All-WCC First Team
Ali Bamberger, Saint Mary's
Alex Fowler, Portland
Shaylee Gonzales, BYU
Lauren Gustin, BYU
Paisley Harding, BYU
Sydney Hunter, San Diego
Melody Kempton, Gonzaga
Ioanna Krimili, San Francisco
Kayleigh Truong, Gonzaga
Lindsey VanAllen, Santa Clara
All-WCC Second Team*
Haylee Andrews, Portland
Kennedy Dickie, San Francisco
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Ariel Johnson, LMU
Taycee Wedin, Saint Mary's
Merle Wiehl, Santa Clara
All-WCC Freshman Team
Elizabeth Elliott, Pacific
Anaya James, Pacific
Claudia Langarita, San Francisco
Makena Mastora, Saint Mary's
Ally Stedman, Pepperdine
All-WCC Honorable Mention
Lucy Cochrane, Portland
Jordyn Edward, San Diego
Tegan Graham, BYU
Madeline Holland, Saint Mary's
Anaya James, Pacific
* Additional student-athlete due to tie in the voting
The Walnut Creek, Calif. native was also named to the WCC All-Conference First Team after she sat out last year while rehabbing a knee injury that took two surgeries and 16 months of rehab. She returned to play to finish with 15.6 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game while starting all 29 contests for Saint Mary's this season.
She was named the WCC player of the week on December 6, 2021 after putting up 22 points and 20 rebounds against Fresno State and 25 points and 19 boards against San Jose State. It was the first time a Gael recorded a 20-point, 20-rebound game since Danielle Mauldin in December of 2013 vs. Gonzaga. Bamberger finished the season with nine double-doubles and had five other occassions of being just one rebound shy of a double-double. She finished sixth in WCC play in points per game, second in rebounds per game, and led the Gaels in blocked shots.
At the Gaels first official practice of the season, Bamberger commented on the process of coming back from the injury. "I'd say the rehab process last year taught me perseverance that I wouldn't have been able to learn without it," Bamberger noted. "It makes you hungry. Being away from the game for so long makes you excited to play."
Taycee Wedin was named to the All-WCC Second Team after being named WCC Honorable Mention the two previous seaons. She crossed the 1,000-point mark for her career in December and eclipsed the career three point record at Saint Mary's and in the history of the WCC this season. The Milwaukie, Ore. native now has 301 career three pointers made at a 41.4% clip for a remarkable combo of volume and efficiency and was already the record holder for three pointers in a season at SMC with 104. She averaged a career high 13.4 poins per game and scored 20 or more points in nine games this season.
Madeline Holland was named WCC Honorable Mention after being the Gaels rock all season, as that steady, dependable leader who averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while leading the Gaels in assists and field goal percentage. The Burlingame, Calif. native recorded three double-doubles on the year and led the WCC in free throw percentage. Along with her clutch shooting at the free-throw line, she hit the game-tying three pointer in the season finale at USF to force OT in the Gaels 92-88 win to seal up the fifth seed in the WCC tournament.
Freshman Makena Mastora earned WCC All-Freshman Team honors as her role kept increasing as the season went on, earning more and more playing time as she became more comfortable at the collegiate level. She started six games overall including the Gaels final five contests of the season and recorded 16 steals on the year. The Alameda, Calif. native scored in double figures five times on the campaign with a career-high 12 points vs. Gonzaga, and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds against Portland.
The Gaels begin play in the WCC Tournament this Friday at 12:00 p.m. against either LMU or Pepperdine.
WCC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS
Player of the Year
Shaylee Gonzales
Defensive Player of the Year
Jordyn Edwards, San Diego
Sixth Woman of the Year
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Newcomer of the Year
Ali Bamberger, Saint Mary's
Coach of the Year
Jeff Judkins, BYU
All-WCC First Team
Ali Bamberger, Saint Mary's
Alex Fowler, Portland
Shaylee Gonzales, BYU
Lauren Gustin, BYU
Paisley Harding, BYU
Sydney Hunter, San Diego
Melody Kempton, Gonzaga
Ioanna Krimili, San Francisco
Kayleigh Truong, Gonzaga
Lindsey VanAllen, Santa Clara
All-WCC Second Team*
Haylee Andrews, Portland
Kennedy Dickie, San Francisco
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Ariel Johnson, LMU
Taycee Wedin, Saint Mary's
Merle Wiehl, Santa Clara
All-WCC Freshman Team
Elizabeth Elliott, Pacific
Anaya James, Pacific
Claudia Langarita, San Francisco
Makena Mastora, Saint Mary's
Ally Stedman, Pepperdine
All-WCC Honorable Mention
Lucy Cochrane, Portland
Jordyn Edward, San Diego
Tegan Graham, BYU
Madeline Holland, Saint Mary's
Anaya James, Pacific
* Additional student-athlete due to tie in the voting
Players Mentioned
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