The All-Decade Team was compiled by staff from D3hoops.com All-American teams.
Guard Amy Campion
Salisbury, 1999-2003
All-American years: 2002 (3rd), 2003 (1st)
Conference honors: 2002 Player of the Year, 2003 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2000 (second round), 2001 (second round), 2002 (Sweet 16)
Other honors: 2003 Jostens Award Finalist
What others say: "(Campion) was a
once in a lifetime player at the Division III level. She simply did
not belong at our level of play. She is the caliber of player that
makes a coach’s dreams come true to and single-handedly
elevates a program to national prominence -- and she did just that
for me and the SU women’s basketball program."
– Bridget Benshetler, former Salisbury coach
Career synopsis: A true 6-foot point guard, Amy Campion took the position and raised it to a new standard of excellence for the region. She was tough to deal with every year she was at Salisbury and continued to improve every season. "That is what great players do -- they have the ability to perform night in and night out at such a high level," Benshetler said. "Camper simply put the teams she played with on her back and said ‘follow me’ by example and work ethic and loyalty and respect for her head coach. She made me look better than what I was." She undoubtedly made her team better, leading them to the three consecutive seasons of at least 23 wins.
Guard Suzy Venet
Mount Union, 1994-98
All-American years: 1998 (1st)
Conference honors: 1997 Player of the Year, 1998 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 1995 (Sweet 16), 1996 (National Runners-up), 1998 (Final Four)
Other honors: 1998 Jostens Award Finalist …1996 and 1998 All-Tournament teams
What others say: "(Venet) did
things on the floor that were unmatched by anyone playing Division
III basketball at that time and since. And her motor was going at
all times. Regardless what the score was, she competed and made
sure her teammates did as well."
– Deanne Knoblauch, former Mount Union coach
Career synopsis: Though most of her career was played before we got online in 1998, Venet’s career was too impressive not to include on the list. Plus the one year she did play during our period compares favorably with that of any other player the past decade. Venet had individual excellence, breaking OAC records for assists in a season (303 in 1997-1998) and career (774) and notching ten triple-doubles and two quadruple-doubles. She pushed her teams to two Final Four appearances at a time when making the tournament from the OAC was difficult enough. When asked about Venet, Knoblauch recalls: "What was most gratifying for me was how opposing coaches came up to me after games and marveled at how she carried herself on the floor. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach such a player." After impressing opposing coaches and her own throughout her playing career, Venet fittingly took over the Purple Raiders program as head coach in 2005.
Forward Eileen Flaherty
Bowdoin, 2003-07
All-American years: 2006 (1st), 2007 (3rd)
Conference honors: 2007 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2004 (National Runners-up), 2005 (Elite 8), 2006 (Elite 8), 2007 (Elite 8)
What others say: "If Lora
Trenkle's teams took our program to a certain level, Eileen
Flaherty's teams kept us there. Eileen was the face of our
team for three years and she produced every game, every year.
She was a scorer, plain and simple; the ball, the rim, and
the backboard did what she wanted them to do. She is the
leading scorer in Bowdoin history. My favorite Eileen stat is
that as a freshman she did not attempt a single three-point shot
and as a senior she was 31-for-85 from three-point range.
Eileen had the individual drive and courage to improve her game
significantly in her career; that's what I admire most about
her. She never missed a game in four years and was the
personification of tough."
– Stefanie Pemper, Bowdoin coach
Other honors: 2007 Jostens Award Finalist
Career synopsis: Flaherty established herself as the most impressive scoring forward in Bowdoin basketball history. Always a threat from the inside, she developed a nice touch from the outside, too. The balance helped her become the Polar Bears’ all-time scoring leader (1,864). Though Flaherty became a dominant star in her senior season, she was impressive throughout her career. In fact, she is the only player in NESCAC basketball history – men’s or women’s – to be named first-team all-conference four consecutive seasons. Her individual success also translated to team success as Bowdoin went 112-9 with four appearances in at least the Elite 8 over four years.
Forward Joanne Polakoski
King’s, 1996-2000
All-American years: 1998 (HM), 2000 (1st)
Conference honors: 1999 Player of the Year
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2000 (Sweet 16)
Other honors: 2000 Jostens Award Finalist
Career synopsis: Like a lot of other All-Americans, Polakoski had impressive individual numbers. Her 1,971 points and 987 rebounds are second best in school history for both categories. The 5-foot-11 forward put up 59 consecutive double-doubles and 79 in her last 81 games. More than the personal accomplishments, Polakoski helped the Lady Monarchs arrive on the national stage. She paced King’s to an 82-30 record over four years and its first NCAA tournament appearance in 2000. That foundation of success helped coach Bryan Whitten build a contender that made the NCAA playoffs the next three years.
Center Alicia Davis
Loras, 2000-04
All-American years: 2002 (3rd), 2004 (1st)
NCAA Tournament appearances: 2003 (First round)
What others say: "The presence of
Alicia Davis on the basketball court took Loras College to a new
competitive level. Opponents had to adjust their game plans to
defend someone of her stature and production."
– Tam Tills, former Loras coach
Career synopsis: Looking over the Loras record book, one name appears repeatedly – Alicia Davis. Records for points in a season (530) and a career (1,716). Records for rebounds in a season (317) and career (847). At 6-foot-4, Davis was undoubtedly able to get some easy looks throughout her career. But whether they were easy looks or not, she didn’t miss many shots. Her 68.7 career field goal percentage stands as a Division III record. Not surprisingly she also has three of the eight highest field goal percentages for a single season in Division III history. Davis’ defense and her 307 blocked shots made opponents think twice about venturing inside the Duhawks’ paint.