NJCAA WBCA All-Star Showcase wraps up in Atlanta
Chipola's Valerie Nesbitt named Patrick Herrington 3-D Award winner
Adekale Ande - NJCAA Intern / Berry College
Decatur, GA—The 11th annual NJCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Showcase packed the Georgia State University gym on July 27-29. 40 student-athletes representing NJCAA institutions across all three divisions took to the hardwoods to display their talent.
"An amazing experience that brought about a lot of opportunities," Jordynn Hernandez of Collin (TX) said. "It gave me the chance to meet girls from all over the country and really get to bond with them."
The student-athletes held multiple practice sessions on Friday with two games lined up to play on both Saturday and Sunday. The All-Stars had the opportunity to become familiar with one another and explore Atlanta by visiting Zoo Atlanta after a day of practices on Friday.
The talented group not only received the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of four-year level coaches from across the country, but had the chance to become better players and hone their craft against elite competition. Coaches from top NCAA Division I, Division II, and NAIA programs were in attendance.
"I just saw them (coaches) as fans because at the end of the day there are here to see us play good basketball," Wabash Valley's (IL) Marie Hunter stated. "It was also great knowing that each player there had something they were good at and it showed during game time."
Valerie Nesbitt of Chipola (FL) was awarded the Patrick Harrington 3-D honor which is given to the best all-around player from the weekend. Nesbitt commented on her experience throughout the weekend. "I really enjoyed the NJCAA All-Star weekend experience. The games were good and I enjoyed meeting players from all over the country. I want to thank everyone involved for putting on this event."
The 2018 NJCAA Women's Basketball All-Tournament team consisted of Nesbitt, Bigue Sarr of South Georgia Tech, Ataiya Bridges of Shelton State (AL), and Audrey McElhaney Chattahoochee Valley (AL).
