Goo pleased, but felt Galloway was slighted

An all-Western Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Team that honored all but one University of Hawai‘i starter left coach Vince Goo wanting more yesterday.

Seniors Crystal Lee and Kylie Galloway earned positions on the first and second teams, respectively, in the vote of the coaches. Kahuku’s April Atuaia is Freshman of the Year, and is joined by point guard Janka Gabrielova on the all-Newcomer Team. Galloway is also on the all-Defensive Team.

This morning the Wahine, with four players suffering from the flu, leave for the daylong trip to Tulsa, Okla., and the Williams WAC Tournament. Yesterday, Goo was the person feeling the worst, particularly for Galloway.

A first-team selection her first two years at Hawai‘i, she would have been Goo’s choice for Player of the Year, if he could have voted for his own players. That honor went to Southern Methodist senior D-dra Rucker.

"If you look at who is on the first and second teams," Goo said, "Kylie is more valuable and a better ballplayer than all nine other people. She is the best all-around player in the conference, no doubt. She can score inside, score on the perimeter. She defends big post people, she defends on the perimeter. She is the best passer in the conference. She should have at least been first team."

Lee’s rise to all-conference status was no surprise based on her brilliant senior season. Lee, who didn’t start last year, leads the Wahine in scoring and is among the Top 15 in five WAC categories.

Atuaia’s honor might have been least surprising. She has started since the sixth game and is averaging 7.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

"We expect more out of her than we’ve ever expected out of a freshman," Goo said. "We’re going to ask for even more next year."

Goo would have added Gabrielova and Christen Roper, who shattered the Wahine’s season record for blocks, to the all-defensive team.

He was probably not the only coach who would have liked to tweak the all-conference team.

Texas Christian, which won its first regular-season conference championship, does not have a player on the first team, but Jeff Mittie is Coach of the Year. San Jose State, which won more games than it did the past two seasons combined, does not have a player on any of the all-conference teams.

OVER AND BACK: The Williams WAC Tournament title sponsor is a 90-year-old energy and high-technology company based in Tulsa. It is currently in television advertisements as a supporter of Tiger Woods’ children’s foundation. Williams is the largest volume-transporter of natural gas in the United States, and is also involved in broadcast video transmission.

All-WAC

First Team

Crystal Lee, Hawai‘i, F, 5-11, Sr., Spokane, Wash. (Central Valley)

Lindsay Logan, Fresno State, G, 5-6, So., Sandy, Utah (Alta)

Amy Pack, UTEP, C, 6-0, So., Stephenville, Texas (Stephenville)

D-dra Rucker, SMU, G, 5-11, Sr., Carrollton, Texas (San Diego State)

Kate Smith, Nevada, C, 6-2, So., Reno, Nev. (McQueen)

Second Team

Kylie Galloway, Hawai‘i, F, 6-0, Sr., Elwood, Victoria, Australia (San Jose State)

Leela Farr, Tulsa, F, 5-11, Jr., Joplin, Mo. (Joplin)

Kati Safaritova, TCU, F, 6-3, Jr., Samoria, Slovakia (Weatherford JC)

Jill Sutton, TCU, G, 5-9, Sr., Gunter, Texas (Gunter)

Omelogo Udeze, Fresno State, F, 6-1, So., Los Angeles (Harvard-Westlake)

Player of the Year: D-dra Rucker, SMU

Freshman of the Year: April Atuaia, Hawaii

Coach of the Year: Jeff Mittie, TCU

All-Newcomer Team

April Atuaia, Hawai‘i, G, 5-10, Fr., La‘ie, O‘ahu (Kahuku)

Janka Gabrielova, Hawai‘i, G, 5-7, Jr., Bratislava, Slovakia (Weatherford JC)

Candice Brewer, Tulsa, G, 5-8, Fr., Fayetteville, Ark. (Fayetteville)

Andrea Cossey, SMU, G, 5-11, Fr., Prescott, Ark. (Prescott)

Kati Safaritova, TCU, F, 6-3, Jr., Samoria, Slovakia (Weatherford JC)

All-Defensive Team

Kylie Galloway, Hawai‘i, F, 6-0, Sr., Elwood, Victoria, Australia (San Jose State)

Christina Mata, UTEP, G, 5-5, Sr., El Paso, Texas (Franklin)

Daneesh McIntosh, Rice, C, 6-0, Jr., Red Hills, Kingston, Jamaica (Immaculate Conception)

D-dra Rucker, SMU, G, 5-11, Sr., Carrollton, Texas (San Diego State)

Tiffany Simon, Fresno State, G, 5-9, So., Detroit (Bishop Bourgess)

[back to top]