Alexandra Leslie, who had one of the most statistically-dominant seasons in the history of women's basketball at the University of Rochester, has received one of the most prestigious awards.
 
Leslie has been selected as a First Team All-American after voting by members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). It is her second consecutive WBCA honor, her first one as a member of the First Team.
 
With Leslie's selection, three Rochester players have combined to earn four First Team WBCA honors in the 21st Century. Erika Smith was elected in her junior and senior years, 2003 and 2004. Jodie Luther was elected in 2011, her senior season. Leslie just concluded her junior year.
 
This is her fifth post-season honor since the end of the 2016-17 season. She was named First Team All-University Athletic Association (her third such accolade from the UAA), First Team ECAC North, D3hoops.com East Region Player of the Year (for the second straight year), and First Team D3hoops.com All-East Region.
 
Additionally, she was a finalist for the Josten's Trophy, given by the Rotary Club of Salem, Virginia for a combination of athletic skill, academic achievement, and community service. She was named to the UAA All-Academic Team and earned First Team Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America.
 
In 27 games, she averaged 21.9 points per game, shooting 56.5% from the floor (225-398), 30% outside the arc (3-10), and 83.5% from the foul line (137-164). She averaged 9.7 rebounds per game, had 56 assists (second overall), 44 blocked shots, and 19 steals.
 
She scored 20 or more points in a game 17 times in 29 games. She cleared the 30-point barrier twice – a career high 33 points (plus 11 rebounds) in a 74-59 season-opening home court victory over William Smith College on November 15, and a 31-point, 15-rebound performance against Emory University in the first UAA game of the year (84-75 Rochester on January 7 at home). She had 12 double-doubles this season.
 
She was named the UAA Player of the Week four times and was named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week once.
 
On December 10, in a 73-67 loss to Ithaca College, Leslie cracked the 1,000-point career barrier. She became the 11th Rochester women's player to score 1,000 or more points in a career and was also the second fastest player to do it. Leslie did it in her 62nd game, surpassing Kristan Radak who reached 1,000 points in her 63rd game. Women's basketball at Rochester just completed its 46th year.
 
She made a rapid ascent in the Rochester career scoring category. At the end of the 2016-17 season, she had 1,421 points and stood in third place all-time behind Radak (1981-85, 1,747 pts.) and Jody Lavin (1978-82, 2,094 pts.).
 
With the exception of statistical averages (points per game, defensive rebound average, etc.) and percentages, Leslie is ranked in the top 10 in nine career categories: free throws made (second, 390), points (third, 1,421), free throws attempted (third, 460), field goals made (fourth, 513), defensive rebounds (fourth, 563), blocked shots (fifth, 94), total rebounds (sixth, 766), and field goals attempted (1,007).
 
Rochester finished the regular season with a 17-8 overall record. The Yellowjackets were 8-6 in the UAA. They finished third in the conference race (8-6), but one of the victories was over league champion Washington University (12-2).
 
Four UAA teams were selected for the NCAA Division III playoffs: Washington, the University of Chicago, Rochester, and Carnegie Mellon University. In the first round, Rochester defeated Keene State College of New Hampshire, 67-55, in a four-team pod at SUNY Geneseo. In round two, Geneseo defeated Rochester, 78-72. The Yellowjackets finished 18-9.
 
Rochester set a single-season scoring record, averaging 71.7 points per game in 2016-17. The team set records for three-point field goals made (181) and attempted (575). Leslie's ability as a scoring threat lurking in the low post opened up the outside for shooters. Five teammates sank 21 or more three-point goals this season and three sank more than 32: Lauren Foley 49, Lizzy Atkinson 38, Brenna James 32, Sarah Kaminsky 23, Lauren Deming 21.