It's easy, right? To pick an all-American team, you just pick the best players. What could be simpler?
Well, no. For example, do you mean the players with the best stats? Or the top players on the best teams? Or those players who mean the most to their respective teams?
Here at FCP, we've decided to go with a simple criterion: Pro potential. These are the collegiate players we feel will have the biggest impact in the WNBA, ABL and the foreign leagues -- which is why some names have been moved up, and some moved down from other all-American teams.
In addition, we've chosen the teams strictly by position, which again moves some people up and others down. For example, the well-chronicled shortage of point guards puts Dalma Ivanyi on the first team, though as a pure basketball talent she probably wouldn't rank that high. And the horde of talented shooting guards and small forwards has pushed some players who will be fine pros down to honorable mention.
But enough quibbling -- on to the teams.
Shooting guard: Dominique Canty, Alabama
Small forward: Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
Power forward: Angie Braziel, Texas Tech
Center: Tamika Whitmore, Memphis
Shooting guard: Semeka Randall, Tennessee**
Small forward: Tamika Catchings, Tennessee**
Power forward: Amanda Wilson, LaTech
Center: Maylana Martin, UCLA*
Shooting guard: Erin Buescher, UCSB**; Kelly Miller, Georgia**; Jamie Redd, Washington; LaQuan Stallworth, Louisiana Tech; Jackie Stiles, Southwest Missouri**.
Small forward: Mery Andrade, Old Dominion; Monica Maxwell, Louisiana Tech; Lynn Pride, Kansas.
Power forward:Amber Hall, Washington; DeMya Walker, Virginia.
Center: Payton Black, Duke; Ruth Riley, Notre Dame**; Conswella Sparrow, Auburn*; Michele VanGorp, Duke.
*Junior; **Sophomore.
11/2/98
