TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State University junior forward Sophie Brunner earned honorable mention recognition on the 2016 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America Team, according to an announcement by the WBCA.
Brunner, who earlier this season earned Pac-12 All-Conference honors (coaches and media) and All-Defense honorable mention (coaches) for the second consecutive year, helped lead the Sun Devils to a 26-7 record, a share of the regular season Pac-12 title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the program’s highest ever placement in the tournament.
Brunner started all 27 games she played in and led ASU in scoring (10.7 ppg), rebounds (7.4 rpg), FG pct (53.0) and steals (1.7 spg) and was third in assists (1.9 apg). One of the team’s top all-around players, Brunner averaged 11.5 points and 8.1 rebounds while connecting on 57 percent of her field goals vs. teams that qualified for the 2016 NCAA Tournament (12 games). After missing six straight games in late November/early December because of an ankle injury, Brunner came back to help ASU tie the school record for most conference wins (16). Early in the conference season Brunner was named espnW’s National Player of the week after averaging 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting 52 percent from the field in wins over then-ninth-ranked Stanford, Washington and Washington State. She would go on to help ASU record last-second wins vs. USC and at Stanford.
Brunner becomes the first Sun Devil to earn All-America distinction since current Indiana Fever guard Briann January accomplished the feat in 2009.
Sun Devil WBB's All-Americans
2016 — Sophie Brunner, honorable mention (WBCA)
2009 — Briann January, honorable mention (AP, WBCA)
2008 — Briann January, honorable mention (AP)
2007 — Emily Westerberg, honorable mention (AP)
2002 — Amanda Levens, honorable mention (AP)
1993 — Ryneldi Becenti, honorable mention (Basketball Times, Scripps-Howard)
1992 — Ryneldi Becenti, honorable mention (BT)
1982 — Kym Hampton, first team
1981 — Kym Hampton, first team