Utah State Women’s Basketball Concludes Season With Awards Banquet

 Utah State’s women’s basketball team held its annual postseason banquet Thursday evening, honoring the 2008-09 team. This season’s team saw many firsts, including winning its first Western Athletic Conference Tournament game against Idaho in March.
 
The Aggies compiled a 16-15 overall record this season and ended the campaign with a 9-7 WAC record. USU ended the season tied for fifth which was the team’s highest finish since joining the WAC for the 2005-06 season. The Aggies ended the season first in the WAC in scoring defense, holding opponents to 57.9 points per game. With the win against Idaho, USU also advanced to its first WAC Tournament semifinal game.
 
Senior guard Danyelle Snelgro earned both the Team Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards. Snelgro averaged 16.1 points and 4.13 assists per game. In WAC only games, she was fourth in scoring averaging 14.6 points per game, and was first in assists per game, averaging 5.0 apg. Snelgro ends her stellar Aggie career as the all-time steal leader at Utah State with 216 swipes. She also ends her career 1,043 points scored which places her fifth all-time.
 
Fellow senior guard Ana Pares was awarded both the Most Improved Player and the Big Blue Scholarship Fund awards. Pares ended the season second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.4 points per game. In league games, Pares ended the season second in three-point field goals made, averaging 2.31 made per game.
 
Senior guard Danyelle Snelgro ended her USU career by becoming the first Aggie to earn first-team all-WAC honors. Snelgro also earned all-Defensive team honors. Fellow senior guard Ana Pares earned second-team all-WAC honors.
 
The whole team earned the Defensive Player of the Year Award after the Aggies had one of the stingiest defenses in the WAC. USU allowed less that 60.0 ppg and was third in the WAC in blocks per game, averaging 4.13 bpg.
 
Aggie assistant coach Erin Scholz received the Couldn’t Have Done It Without You Award, while senior forward Shawnta Pope collected the Excellence in the Classroom. Pope and her three fellow seniors, Snelgro, Pares and Ndoumbe Diop will all be graduating this weekend.
 
A complete list of awards, which were all voted on by the team, follows:
 
2008-2009 Team Awards
Team Player Award – Danyelle Snelgro
Most Improved Player Award – Ana Pares
Blue Vase Award – Shawnta Pope
Strength and Conditioning Award – Alice Coddington
Excellence in the Classroom – Shawnta Pope
Couldn’t Have Done it Without You Award – Erin Scholz
Offensive Player of the Year Award – Danyelle Snelgro
Defensive Player of the Year Award – 2008-09 USU Women’s Basketball Team
Fan Appreciation Award – Evan Nyman
Big Blue Scholarship Fund Award – Ana Pares