KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2017 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball All-America Teams Thursday. Players were selected by the NAIA-Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America Committee. Each team – first, second and third – consists of 10 individuals.
Daniela Wallen of Oklahoma City – a second team All-American last season – headlines this year’s honorees, as the senior was chosen as the 2017 NAIA National Player of the Year. She is the third Star to claim the award since its inception in 1998. Former Oklahoma City standouts Patty Cantella (2000) and Kesha Watson (2003 and 2004) are the others.
Wallen led Oklahoma City to an NAIA record ninth all-time national title this season. The Caracas, Venezuela, native scored in double-figures in every game this year en route to an NAIA-best 24.6 points per game average. Wallen also led the NAIA in total steals (137), while also ranking among the top 10 in field goal percentage (55.6 percent) and total rebounds (317).
Wallen was equally as dominant at the 2017 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Championship, presented by Wells Fargo. Through five games, Wallen averaged 24.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest, while also shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 81.5 percent at the charity stripe. Wallen received the championship’s Most Valuable Player award.
Arguably her highlight game of the season came in the semifinals of the national championship against Campbellsville (Ky.), as she tallied a stat line of 33 points, four rebounds, four steals, three assists and one block. Wallen ended that game shooting 12-of-16 from the field, 2-for-3 from long range and 7-of-8 at the free throw line.
Oklahoma City head coach Bo Overton was named this season’s NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball National Coach of the Year. Overton, who is in his second year at the helm of the Oklahoma City program, led the team to a 34-2 overall record, including the aforementioned national championship. This is the ninth time that the award has been given to the leader of the Stars.
Chanel Roberts of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and Kourtney Pennywell of LSU Shreveport (La.) are receiving All-America honors for the third time in their careers. There are 11 players among the 30 honored that are named to one of the three teams for a second time.
Five institutions had multiple players earn All-America status – Biola (Calif.), Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.), Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), Lindsey Wilson and Shawnee State (Ohio).
For more information on NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball, click here.
2017 NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball All-America Teams| First Team | ||||
| Name | Institution | Pos. | Class | Hometown |
| Taleeah Cross * | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | G | Sr. | South Fulton, Tenn. |
| Kim Mallory | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | F | Jr. | Nettleton, Miss. |
| Caelyn Orlandi * | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | G | Sr. | Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
| Kayla Styles | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | F | Jr. | Louisville, Ky. |
| Starla Daggan | Mobile (Ala.) | G | Sr. | Prentiss, Miss. |
| Natalee Faupel * | Montana State-Northern | G | Sr. | Butte, Mont. |
| Daniela Wallen * % | Oklahoma City | F | Sr. | Caracas, Venezuela |
| Jonessa Moore | Shawnee State (Ohio) | C | Sr. | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Claire Lamunu | Vanguard (Calif.) | F | Sr. | Kampala, Uganda |
| Aysia Shellmire * | Westmont (Calif.) | F | Sr. | Burbank, Calif. |
| Second Team | ||||
| Name | Institution | Pos. | Class | Hometown |
| Kelsey Larson | Baker (Kan.) | F | Sr. | Iola, Kan. |
| Kristen Murphy | Benedictine (Kan.) | F | Jr. | Olathe, Kan. |
| DeMoria White | Biola (Calif.) | G | Jr. | Inglewood, Calif. |
| Emily Fox | Campbellsville (Ky.) | G | Sr. | McKinney, Ky. |
| DaJonee Hale * | Central Methodist (Mo.) | G | Jr. | Anchorage, Alaska |
| Brittany Tackett * | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | F | Jr. | Coeur d'Alene, Idaho |
| Chanel Roberts * ^ | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | F | Sr. | Radcliff, Ky. |
| Aniese Palmore | Montana Western | G | Sr. | Santa Monica, Calif. |
| Madison Ridout | Shawnee State (Ohio) | F | Jr. | Jackson, Ohio |
| Bianca Cubello * | The Master's (Calif.) | F | Sr. | Riverside, Calif. |
| Third Team | ||||
| Name | Institution | Pos. | Class | Hometown |
| Shamon Pearson * | Bethel (Tenn.) | G | Jr. | Ridgely, Tenn. |
| Annie Park | Biola (Calif.) | G | Sr. | Torrance, Calif. |
| Kelsey Ernst | Clarke (Iowa) | F | Sr. | Bellevue, Iowa |
| Nicole Bowers | Cumberland (Tenn.) | F | Sr. | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Baily Cameron | John Brown (Ark.) | F | So. | Siloam Springs, Ark. |
| Meghan Temple | Loyola (La.) | F | Sr. | Houston, Texas |
| Kourtney Pennywell * ^ | LSU Shreveport (La.) | C | Sr. | Shreveport, La. |
| Kiara Moore | Lyon (Ark.) | G | Sr. | Little Rock, Ark. |
| Kyoko Wade | Martin Methodist (Tenn.) | F | Sr. | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Tajanee Wells | Talladega (Ala.) | F | Sr. | Columbus, Ohio |
* 2016 All-American
^ 2015 All-American
% 2017 National Player of the Year
Honorable Mention
| Name | Institution |
| Courtney Christmas | Arizona Christian |
| Raven Bunn | Avila (Mo.) |
| Serena Parker | Benedictine (Kan.) |
| Brandi Goodman | Bethel (Tenn.) |
| Joclyn Kirton | Biola (Calif.) |
| Cassidy Hashley | Carroll (Mont.) |
| Lexie Moe | Central Methodist (Mo.) |
| Ashlee Marlatt | Columbia (Mo.) |
| Morgan Brandt | Columbia (Mo.) |
| Faith LeGate | Faulkner (Ala.) |
| Lashae Brown | Fisk (Tenn.) |
| Emilie Ziese | Georgetown (Ky.) |
| Sydney Vaughn | Graceland (Iowa) |
| Maddie Westergard | Grand View (Iowa) |
| Stephanie McDonagh | Great Falls (Mont.) |
| Brionna Taylor | Harris-Stowe (Mo.) |
| Brianna Mueller | Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) |
| Alison Webb | Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) |
| Zoie Miller | Loyola (La.) |
| Sarai Rodriguez | Mid-America Christian (Okla.) |
| Kali Koenig | Mobile (Ala.) |
| Sierra Richards | Montana State-Northern |
| Martha Dembek | Montana Tech |
| Hattie Thatcher | Montana Tech |
| Kaye Bignell | Montana Western |
| Daniela Galindo | Oklahoma City |
| Alyssa Ward | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) |
| Kelah Eldridge | Pikeville (Ky.) |
| Devin Conley | Pikeville (Ky.) |
| Dierra Ely | Science & Arts (Okla.) |
| Brandie Snow | Shawnee State (Ohio) |
| Maghen Lormand | St. Thomas (Texas) |
| Katelynn Threats | Texas Wesleyan |
| Megan Lindsley | The Master's (Calif.) |
| Jade Jones | Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
| Shawna Monreal | Wayland Baptist (Texas) |
| Aimee Brakken | Westmont (Calif.) |
| Lauren McCoy | Westmont (Calif.) |
| Alyssa Phillips | William Penn (Iowa) |
| Jasmine Brown | William Woods (Mo.) |
