GREENBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Virginia senior guard/forward Jocelyn Willoughby has been named the recipient of the 2019-20 Kay Yow Award, as the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year to headline the 2019-20 All-ACC Women's Basketball Academic Team.
The ACC women’s basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is named in memory of the legendary Yow, who won 737 games as a head coach while directing NC State to four ACC Tournament championships and the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team to a gold medal. Yow, who passed away in January of 2009, is also remembered for her leadership and courage in her fight against breast cancer.
Willoughby, who leads the ACC in scoring (19.5 points per game) and ranks 12th in rebounding (7.5 per game), is the first Virginia player to garner the league’s Kay Yow Award since its inception in September 2007. She earned first team All-ACC honors this season and is the first Cavaliers player to do so since 2013.
The East Orange, New Jersey, native was recently tabbed to the Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for the second consecutive season. Willoughby is a four-time All-ACC Academic Team selection. She earned her undergraduate degree in Global Development Studies and is pursuing her Master’s degree in Public Policy.
Willoughby was added to the midseason watch list for the WBCA player of the year honor, the Wade Trophy, as well as being on the initial watch list for the USBWA Ann Myers Drysdale National Player of the Year award. She owns a conference-best 14 20-point games and has nine double-doubles this season.
Willoughby and Georgia Tech’s Francesca Pan are the only two student-athletes to be named to the All-ACC Academic Team for the fourth time in as many years. North Carolina’s Taylor Koenen, Syracuse’s and Wake Forest’s Alex Sharp each claimed a spot on the team for the third time.
A total of 13 student-athletes who earned All-ACC honors this season also secured spots on the academic team, highlighted by Louisville’s Dana Evans, the ACC Player of the Year and Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley, the conference’s rookie of the year.
Virginia Tech led all schools with five selections, while Clemson, Duke and Georgia Tech each placed three student-athletes on the team.
ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established in September 2007 to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Candidates for the awards must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average for their career as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters. The award is based 60 percent on academic achievement and 40 percent on athletic accomplishment.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team.
The ACC Honor Roll, which recognizes all conference student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.0 for the current academic year, will be released in July.
2019-20 All-ACC Women’s Basketball Academic Team
Marnelle Garraud, Boston College, So., G, Entrepreneurship @
Hannah Hank, Clemson, Fr., F, English
Amari Robinson, Clemson, Fr., Special Education
Kendall Spray, Clemson, Sr., G, Health Science
Miela Goodchild, Duke, So., G, Undecided @
Haley Gorecki, Duke, Gr., G, Master’s Program
Kyra Lambert, Duke, Gr., G, Master’s Program
River Baldwin, Florida State, Fr., F, Finance
Morgan Jones, Florida State, So., G, Sport Management
Kierra Fletcher, Georgia Tech, Jr., G, History, Technology and Society @
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen, Georgia Tech, So., G, Business Administration
Francesca Pan, Georgia Tech, Sr., G, Business Administration %
Dana Evans, Louisville, Jr., G, Sport Administration @
Jazmine Jones, Louisville, Sr., G, Criminal Justice @
Taylor Koenen, North Carolina, Sr., G, Business Administration #
Malu Tshitenge, North Carolina, Fr., F, Business Administration
Kayla Jones, NC State, Jr., F, Sport Management
Marta Sniezek, Notre Dame, Gr., G, Master’s in Nonprofit Administration
Destinee Walker, Notre Dame, Gr., G, Master’s Program @
Aysia Bugg, Pitt, Gr., G, Health Informatics
Dayshanette Harris, Pitt, Fr., G, Undeclared
Gabrielle Cooper, Syracuse, Sr., G, Psychology #
Teisha Hyman, Syracuse, Fr., F, Undecided
Jocelyn Willoughby, Virginia, Sr., G/F, Master’s in Global Development & Public Policy %
Taja Cole, Virginia Tech, Gr., G, Agriculture & Life Sciences, Leadership Studies
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech, Fr., C, Human Nutrition, Foods & Exercise
Dara Mabrey, Virginia Tech, So., G, Multimedia Journalism, Sports Media & Analytics @
Lydia Rivers, Virginia Tech, Gr., F, Agriculture & Life Sciences, Leadership Studies
Aisha Sheppard, Virginia Tech, Jr., G, Multimedia Journalism, Sports Media & Analytics
Christina Morra, Wake Forest, So., F, Psychology
Alex Sharp, Wake Forest, Sr., G, Psychology #
@ Two-time honoree
# Three-time honoree
% Four-time honoree