Five Elon WBB Phoenix Players Earn All-Conference Recognition

RICHMOND, Va. – The Colonial Athletic Association announced its women’s basketball postseason honors today, March 11, with five Elon women’s basketball players earning spots on the various all-conference teams. Freshmen Shay Burnett and Malaya Johnson were named to the CAA All-Rookie Team, while seniors Sam Coffer and Zora Stephenson and sophomore Lauren Brown were all selected to the CAA All-Academic Team.

Elon was the only school with more than one player on the all-rookie team as Burnett and Johnson are two of five players named to the squad. Burnett is second on the team in scoring with 10.2 points per game and ranks 11th in the league with a 47.0 field-goal percentage. The Graham, N.C., native has started 27 games this season, tallied three double-doubles, two 20+ point scoring games and 15 double-figure scoring games. Burnett has earned CAA Rookie of the Week honors four times this season, including the last weekly award of the season on March 9.

Johnson has played in all 29 games this season, earning the start in 20. She leads the team and ranks second in the conference with a 52.0 field-goal percentage and averages 7.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. The Mount Airy, N.C., native notched a career-high 22 points and 10 field goals at Campbell on Dec. 17 and has hauled down 11 rebounds in two games this season. Johnson has also received Rookie of the Week recognition, earning the honor twice.

Coffer, Stephenson and Brown represent three of the 15 players that make up the All-Academic team, matching Drexel for the most representatives from one school. Coffer, a two-time Southern Conference academic honoree, earned CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 First Team honors for the second straight year in February and holds a 3.89 GPA as a biochemistry major. Stephenson, who leads the team with 10.7 points per game, earned SoCon academic all-conference honors the last two seasons and was named to the CAA academic squad with a 3.71 GPA as a media arts and entertainment major. Brown earns a spot on the all-academic team with a 3.48 GPA and is majoring in exercise science.

The 2015 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship gets underway on March 12 with a pair of opening round games at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. and concludes with the championship game on March 15. Tickets are currently on sale for the 2015 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship at www.caasports.com/tickets. For more information, visit our official championship pages under the championships tab at caasports.com or by logging on to caasports.com/WBBChampionship. Fans can join the social media conversation by using the official CAA Basketball hashtag, #CAAHoops, on both Instagram and Twitter. Fans can also follow live statistics of each contest by visiting CAAStats.com.

Fourth-seeded Elon plays its first game of the championship against fifth-seeded UNCW in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 13, at 2:30 p.m.

2015 CAA Women’s Basketball Postseason Honors

2014-15 All-CAA First Team
Kelva Atkins – UNCW
Sarah Curran – Drexel
Precious Hall – James Madison
LaTorri Hines-Allen – Towson
Lauren Okafor – James Madison

2014-15 All-CAA Second Team
Erika Brown – Delaware
Ashunae Durrant – Hofstra
Angela Mickens – James Madison
Brie Mobley – UNCW
Rachel Pearson – Drexel

2014-15 All-CAA Third Team
Kelly Loftus – Hofstra
Bre Bolden – College of Charleston
Samantha DeFreese – Northeastern
Marlena Tremba – William & Mary
Jazmon Gwathmey – James Madison

CAA Player of the Year: Precious Hall – James Madison
CAA Rookie of the Year: Ashunae Durant – Hofstra
CAA Defensive Player of the Year: Bre Bolden – College of Charleston
CAA Coach of the Year: Kenny Brooks – James Madison
2014-15 Dean Ehlers Leadership Award: Lauren Okafor – James Madison

2014-15 CAA All-Rookie Team
Shay Burnett – Elon
Ashunae Durant – Hofstra
Malaya Johnson – Elon
Abby Rendle – William & Mary
Makeda Nicholas – Delaware
Breonn Hughey – Towson

2014-15 CAA All-Defensive Team
Bre Bolden – College of Charleston
Jazmen Boone – William & Mary
Angela Mickens – James Madison
Lauren Okafor – James Madison
Abby Rendle – William & Mary

2014-15 CAA All-Academic Team
Erin Hall – College of Charleston
Hannah Jardine – Delaware
Stephanie Leon – Delaware
Florence Ouattara – Drexel
Rachel Pearson – Drexel
Jackie Schluth – Drexel
Zora Stephenson – Elon
Sam Coffer – Elon
Lauren Brown – Elon
Lauren Okafor – James Madison
Francesca Sally – Northeastern
Amencie Mercier – Northeastern
Amber Reeves – UNCW
Marlena Tremba – William & Mary
Kyla Kerstetter – William & Mary