The All-Decade Team was compiled by staff from D3hoops.com All-American teams.
Guard Katie Robinson,
Swarthmore, 2000-04
All-American years: 2002 (HM), 2003 (HM), 2004 (1st)
Conference honors: 2002 Player of the Year, 2003 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2001 (Second round)
Other honors: 2004 Jostens finalist
What others say: "There were many
things that made Katie special on the court: her quickness and
athleticism, her ability to get a shot off quickly and effectively
and her obvious love for the game of basketball. More impressive to
me were her qualities off the court. Despite all of her successes,
Katie maintained perspective and humility."
– Adrienne Shibles, former Swarthmore coach
Career synopsis: The old cliché says that great players make others around them better and that certainly was the case with Katie Robinson. "Katie and I guarded each other almost every day for two years," remembers former Garnet teammate and current Bryn Mawr coach Katie Tarr. "We made each other laugh, while challenging each other in every drill. I knew her every move, but that did not mean I could stop it. She made me a better defender." Robinson also made her teammates better by playing with a contagious joy and putting others ahead of herself.
Guard Missy Pederson
St. Thomas, 1998-02
All-American years: 2001 (2nd), 2002 (1st)
Conference honors: 2001 Player of the Year, 2002 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1999 (Second Round), 2000 (Final Four), 2001 (Sweet 16)
Other honors: 2002 Jostens Award Finalist
Career synopsis: As great a basketball player as Pederson was at St. Thomas, she nearly didn’t play there at all. She suffered an ACL tear as a junior in high school and almost gave up on the sport. "I was an inch away from quitting. Coach told me I had two choices — stay and work my way back, or go and don't ever come back," Pederson told Around the Nation in 2002. "That got me to stay and to be there 365 days a year." Pederson went on to become the first player in MIAC women’s basketball history to register 1,500 points, 300 assists and 300 steals. She also broke a 15-year free throw percentage record for Division III, shooting an astounding .8379 from the line.
Forward Amanda Nechuta
UW-Stevens Point, 2001-05
All-American years: 2003 (4th), 2004 (2nd), 2005
(1st)
Conference honors: 2004 Player of the Year, 2005 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2002 (National Champions), 2004 (Final Four)
Other honors: 2004 All-Tournament Team…2005 Jostens Award Finalist
What others say: "Amanda could
play inside or outside depending on particular matchups. Amanda did
whatever was needed for our team to be successful."
– Shirley Egner, UW-Stevens Point coach.
Career synopsis: Amanda Nechuta’s resume is as well-rounded as her game was. "Amanda was a multi-talented player during her four year career," said Egner. "Her physical strength and quickness were key components to her game." She finished her career as the WIAC’s all-time leader for points (1,801), free throws (407) and steals (300). She also holds the Pointers’ record for career rebounds (756).
Forward Kendra Meyer
Capital, 1997-01
All-American years: 1999 (2nd), 2000 (HM), 2001 (1st)
Conference honors: 2001 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1999 (Sweet 16), 2000 (second round)
Other honors: 2001 Jostens Award Finalist
What others say: "Kendra was a
leader on the court as well as in the classroom. Like any great
player, she was measured in how much she made the players around
her better. She led by example and was admired by everyone at
Capital University"
– Dixie Jeffers, Capital coach
Career synopsis: As evidence of its depth, the OAC is one of only conferences with three members represented on the All-Decade team (the WIAC is the other). Meyer excelled in that environment, scoring more than 1,500 points, grabbing more than 1,000 rebounds and earning four all-conference selections. Meyer and Sandy Buddelmeyer (Capital 1989-1993) are the only players in OAC history to accomplish that feat. Kendra’s Crusaders won 86 games over her four years and reached the NCAA tournament twice in the days before 63-team brackets. Had Meyer played in an era with more at-large bids, she would’ve had a better chance of showing her stuff in the 1998 and 2001 playoffs when Capital went 20-5 and 19-6 respectively.
Center Kate Smith
Cortland State, 1998-2001
All-American years: 2000 (HM), 2001 (1st)
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1999 (second round), 2000 (second round), 2001 (Sweet 16)
What others say: "Kate Smith
certainly proved to be a great asset to the Cortland women's
basketball program on the offensive end of the floor as evidenced
by her 1,157 points over three seasons. What set Kate apart,
however, was her tremendous defensive presence in the middle."
– Jeannette Yeoman, Cortland State coach
Career synopsis: Kate Smith was a
rarity in that she could dominate both ends of the floor. At 6-5,
she created big matchup problems for opposing defenses. But she was
even more impressive on defense. "Kate was an excellent rebounder
with 798 in her career, and her ability to not only block shots but
to alter many more in the paint changed the course of many games
and forced opponents to adjust their offensive strategies," recalls
Yeoman.
Photo by Darl Zehr
Photography