ESPN.com's Preseason All-Americans
Originally Published: November 11, 2010
ESPN.com
There is a lot of basketball still to be played this season. But here are ESPN.com's top 10 players heading into the opening games of 2010-11. Only Baylor's Brittney Griner and Connecticut's Maya Moore were unanimous selections to the first team.
ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM
| Player | Résumé |
|---|---|
BRITTNEY GRINER, BAYLOR![]() |
6-8, sophomore, center | 16.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 bpg Given the improvement she showed throughout last season as a rookie, it's scary to think how much better she'll be now with a full year of college behind her. -- Charlie Creme She was a sport-changing presence without even fully understanding her own physical gifts. And guess what, she's going to figure out how to use those a lot sooner than anyone is going to figure out how to stop her. -- Graham Hays Expect to see improved strength, which will make her all the more difficult to guard. As if being 6-foot-8 isn't enough. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Jerry Larson/AP) |
MAYA MOORE, CONNECTICUT![]() |
6-0, senior, forward | 18.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 52 FG percent The Final Four illustrated there are nights when Moore can struggle and still remain the best, most versatile player on the floor. -- Charlie Creme She handled herself like a senior from her first day in Connecticut, so it's about time she actually was one. The only thing left to prove is how much better she can make those around her. -- Graham Hays She benefited this fall from time spent with the U.S. national team at the FIBA World Championship, where she learned from the best. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Khris Hale/Icon SMI) |
NNEMKADI OGWUMIKE, STANFORD![]() |
6-2, junior, forward | 18.5 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 60 FG percent Mark down the nights when she doesn't get a double-double. They might be rare. -- Charlie Creme She's quicker than you, stronger than you, can jump higher than you and has a midrange shot. Oh, and she's smarter than you, too. Good luck. -- Graham Hays She will be an even bigger threat with her talented younger sister on the team. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Paul Sakuma/AP) |
KAYLA PEDERSEN![]() |
6-4, senior, forward | 15.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 46 FG percent Her versatility might be second only to Moore's, and that makes her Stanford's most important player. -- Charlie Creme The single-best inside-outside threat in the college game -- and you could put her on the short list at the next level, too. She's unflappable and unmerciful. -- Graham Hays She has improved her footwork as she fine-tunes her game in preparation for the pro level. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Eric Gay/AP) |
DANIELLE ROBINSON, OKLAHOMA![]() |
5-9, senior, guard | 16.8 ppg, 4.2 apg, 2.2 spg She's faster with the ball than most are without it. -- Charlie Creme She has been the point guard charged with getting the ball to Courtney Paris. She has been the go-to player on a Final Four team with barely enough healthy bodies to scrimmage. Now, she's a 3-point shot away from being unstoppable. -- Graham Hays She has even more on her shoulders as a senior, but she has never shied from a challenge. And she's also way too quick for most to guard. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Nelson Chenault/US Presswire) |
ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM
| Player | Résumé |
|---|---|
AMBER HARRIS, XAVIER![]() |
6-5, senior, forward | 16.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 56 FG percent Her decision to return to Xavier keeps the Musketeers among the nation's elite and gives Harris an opportunity to finally receive the attention equal to her talent. -- Charlie Creme There are stretches of games where she is simply the most gifted player in the country, a 6-foot-5 nimble giant with a game like Dirk Nowitzki. -- Graham Hays She will be coveted by pro scouts because of her versatility and athleticism. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Al Behrman/AP) |
TIFFANY HAYES, CONNECTICUT![]() |
5-10, junior, guard | 10.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.1 apg percent If one of her teammates can take a firm hold of UConn's point guard spot, Hayes should flourish as a scorer. -- Charlie Creme More than Maya Moore's sidekick, Hayes has an uncanny knack of stepping up when UConn needs it most, and a first step quicker than most. -- Melanie Jackson She's an explosively talented player who will come into her own more this season than ever before. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Scott Terna/US Presswire) |
JANTEL LAVENDER, OHIO STATE![]() |
6-4, senior, center | 21.4 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 51 FG percent As a three-time Big Ten Player of the Year, there is little she hasn't done individually. Can she separate herself from other Buckeyes elite with a trip to the Final Four? -- Charlie Creme She has been so good from the get-go in Columbus that it's easy to take her for granted. At least until you take 21 points and 10 rebounds away from the box score and see where the Buckeyes would be. -- Graham Hays Her mobility, speed, good hands and strength have made her one of the best players in Big Ten history. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Terry Gilliam/AP) |
SHEKINNA STRICKLEN, TENNESSEE![]() |
6-2, junior, guard/forward | 12.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.9 apg She'll play some point, but Stricklen is best served on the wing where she can shoot over opponents or use her hard-to-match athleticism to score at the rim. -- Charlie Creme It says a lot about both Stricklen and the Lady Vols that a 32-3 season in which she averaged 12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists left us wanting more. It says a lot about Stricklen that she can deliver even more. -- Graham Hays As the season progresses, she's likely not to be the point guard by default as much, which is probably more comfortable for her. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Jason O. Watson/US Presswire) |
JASMINE THOMAS, DUKE![]() |
5-9, senior, guard | 16.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.1 apg She is asked to run the Blue Devils' offense, dictate Duke's intensity, mold its toughness and handle the big moments. She needs to be the consummate leader -- and is up to the task. -- Charlie Creme When she decides to attack the basket, her aggressiveness and speed will get her there. But she's equally skilled at pulling up for a jump shot. -- Melanie Jackson Like Robinson, Thomas is a lightning-quick point guard who is all the more effective when her shot is on. -- Mechelle Voepel (Photo: Jason O. Watson/US Presswire) |
The following players each received one vote from our panel: Kachine Alexander, Iowa; Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga.
SPONSORED HEADLINES
MORE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HEADLINES
- Thompson nets 30, leads Storm vs. Mystics
- Fever's Douglas (back) needs more time off
- Ackerman advises NCAA tourney changes
- Gophers' Banham undergoes surgery on knees
MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM
2010-11 Season Preview

Get ready for 2010-11 with ESPN.com's women's college basketball preview.
Friday, Nov. 12
• ESPN.com's Preseason All-Americans• Maya Moore three-peat: Preseason POY
• Predictions: League winners, five contenders
• Voepel: Baylor a Final Four favorite
Thursday, Nov. 11
• Voepel: Summitt optimistic at Tennessee• Hays: Elite Eight losers back for more
• Hays: Mid-major players to watch
• Hays: Mid-major top 10 (and then some)
Wednesday, Nov. 10
• Top five players at each position• Hays: 10 more players to watch
• Voepel: VanDerveer just 'giddy' at Stanford
Tuesday, Nov. 9
• Voepel: Coach G's Texas-sized task• Hays: Thomas, McCallie united at Duke
• Hays: No keeping down Iowa's Alexander
Monday, Nov. 8
• ESPN.com preseason top 10• Voepel: A look at 2010-11
• Hays: UConn must be more than Moore
• ESPN The Mag: Brittney Griner's ready









