An All-ACC First Team, Second Team, Freshman Team and Defensive Team were voted on by the league’s 15 head coaches. The All-ACC First Team and Freshman Teams mirror that of the Blue Ribbon Panel All-ACC selections, which were announced on March 4.
The Fighting Irish’s guard tandem of sophomore Jewell Loyd and senior Kayla McBride earned first team honors, while senior forward Natalie Achonwa earned second team accolades. Blue Devils’ senior guard Tricia Liston and junior center/forward Elizabeth Williams were selected to the first team, while sophomore guard Alexis Jones earned second team honors.
Three first-team players from last season are repeat selections this year in Alyssa Thomas of Maryland, Duke’s Williams and Georgia Tech senior Tyaunna Marshall. Duke’s Liston and Florida State’s Natasha Howard, both second-team selections on the coaches team, in 2013, were named to this year’s All-ACC First Team.
Rounding out the 10-member first team are North Carolina freshman Diamond DeShields, NC State senior Markeisha Gatling and Wake Forest junior Dearica Hamby.
Joining Notre Dame’s Achonwa and Duke’s Jones on the second team are Georgia Tech freshman Kaela Davis, Syracuse sophomore Brittney Sykes and Virginia Tech senior Uju Ugoka.
Loyd, the ACC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player, leads Notre Dame in scoring at 18.5 points per game, while McBride averages 17.5 points per game while shooting 87.4 percent from the foul line and is handing out 3.8 assists per contests.
Wake Forest’s Hamby finished the season leading the ACC in both scoring (22.0 ppg) and in rebounding (11.0). Maryland’s Thomas ranks fourth among ACC scorers at 18.9 points per game and is just behind Hamby among leading rebounders at 10.8.
Duke’s Williams, who was also named the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight season, is scoring at a 14.0 ppg clip while pulling down 7.5 rebounds per game and leading all shot blockers with 3.0 per outing. Liston leads the Blue Devils in scoring at 17.3 points per game while shooting an ACC-leading 48.3 percent from 3-point range (83-of-172).
Florida State’s Howard’s 21.2 points per game ranks second in the conference, and she is fourth in rebounding at 9.2 per game. Georgia Tech’s Marshall is third in scoring at 19.6 ppg and leads the league in steals at 2.7 per contest. Both Howard and Marshall were also selected to the All-ACC Defensive Team for the second time in their careers.
North Carolina’s DeShields emerged as an immediate contributor for the Tar Heels, scoring 18.0 points per game. NC State’s Gatling leads the ACC in field goal percentage at 67.6 percent while scoring 17.6 points per game.
Notre Dame’s Achonwa earned second team honors after averaging 14.1 points per game and grabbing 7.4 rebounds per contest. Prior to a season-ending knee injury, Duke’s Jones averaged 13.1 points and 5.3 assists per game, which is the second-best average in the league. Georgia Tech’s Davis is fifth in the ACC in scoring (18.6 ppg) and ranks fourth in made 3-point shots (83).
Syracuse’s Sykes averages 16.7 ppg while shooting 51.0 percent from the floor. Virginia Tech’s Ugoka ranks eighth among ACC scorers at 18.4 ppg and third among rebounders with 9.6 per contest.
UNC’s DeShields and Georgia Tech’s Davis were also voted to Head Coaches ACC All-Freshman team announced on Monday. They are joined by Maryland’s Lexie Brown, North Carolina’s Allisha Gray and Miami’s Adrienne Motley.
Brown played a key role in the Terrapins’ backcourt her freshman year, ranking fourth among all ACC players in assists with 4.3 per game and ranking second in assist/turnover ratio at 2.1. UNC’s Gray averages 14.4 ppg and ranks third in ACC 3-point shooting at 42.3 percent. Miami’s Motley leads the Hurricanes in scoring at 10.9 ppg and in assists at 2.6 per contest.
Joining Williams, Howard and Marshall on the All-ACC Defensive Team were Notre Dame’s Loyd and Virginia’s Lexie Gerson. Gerson led Virginia and ranked second in the ACC with 2.6 steals per game.
The ACC Player, Rookie and Coach of the Year as selected by the league’s head coaches will be announced on Tuesday, March 11.
First Team All-ACC
Diamond DeShields, Fr., G, North Carolina
Markeisha Gatling, Sr., C, NC State
Dearica Hamby, Jr., F, Wake Forest
Natasha Howard, Sr., F, Florida State
Tricia Liston, Sr., G, Duke
Jewell Loyd, So., G, Notre Dame
Tyaunna Marshall, Sr., G, Georgia Tech
Kayla McBride, Sr., G, Notre Dame
Alyssa Thomas, Sr., F, Maryland
Elizabeth Williams, Jr., C/F, Duke
Second Team All-ACC
Natalie Achonwa, Sr., F, Notre Dame
Kaela Davis, Fr., G, Georgia Tech
Alexis Jones, So., G, Duke
Brittney Sykes, So., G, Syracuse
Uju Ugoka, Sr., F, Virginia Tech
Head Coaches Honors – All-Defensive Team
Lexie Gerson, R-Sr., G, Virginia
Natasha Howard, Sr., F, Florida State
Jewell Loyd, So., G, Notre Dame
Tyuanna Marshall, Sr., G, Georgia Tech
Elizabeth Williams, Jr., C/F, Duke