Duquesne WBB's Bordas Named to A-10 Rookie Team
The Atlantic 10 Conference released its regular season awards as voted on by head coaches across all 14 teams and Duquesne received a sole recognition with freshman guard Alexis Bordas making the all-rookie team.
Bordas was the only Duquesne player to start all 29 regular season games and averaged 15.3 points per game, which ranked seventh in the conference and her 88.5% free-throw shooting clip placed her fourth in the conference.
Additionally, entering play Saturday, Bordas ranked third nationally in three-point attempts and connected 87 times from beyond the arc. Bordas also displayed her defensive prowess with 45 steals.
Below are the official awards as voted upon by the coaches.
Atlantic 10 Player of the Year– Maggie Doogan Richmond
Defensive Player of the Year– Aryss Macktoon La Salle
Rookie of the Year– Alyssa Koerkenmeier Saint Louis
Sixth Woman of the Year– Vanessa Harris Rhode Island
Most Improved Player– Gabby Casey Saint Joseph’s
Coach of the Year– Tammi Reiss Rhode Island
All-Conference First Team
Charlise Dunn Davidson
Kennedy Harris George Mason
Zahirah Walton George Mason
Brooklyn Gray Rhode Island
Maggie Doogan Richmond
Rachel Ullstrom Richmond
All-Conference Second Team
Katie Donovan Davidson
Ashleigh Connor La Salle
Aryss Macktoon La Salle
Sophia Vital Rhode Island
Ally Sweeney Richmond
Gabby Casey Saint Joseph’s
All-Conference Third Team
Nayo Lear Dayton
Alex-Anne Bessette Loyola Chicago
Gabby Reynolds George Washington
Palmire Mbu Rhode Island
Aleah Snead Saint Joseph’s
Alyssa Koerkenmeier Saint Louis
All-Defensive Team
Mary Amoateng George Mason
Hawa Komara George Mason
Aryss Macktoon La Salle
Ines Debroise Rhode Island
Alyssa Koerkenmeier Saint Louis
All-Rookie Team
Alexis Bordas Duquesne
Mary Amoateng George Mason
Alex-Anne Bessette Loyola Chicago
Vanessa Harris Rhode Island
Alyssa Koerkenmeier Saint Louis
All-Academic Team
Charlise Dunn Davidson
Nicole Stephens Dayton
Kennedy Harris George Mason
Brooklyn Gray Rhode Island
Maggie Doogan Richmond
PSN’s Zac Weiss also did a ballot for a10talk and while that did not contribute to the official results, here was where he weighed in.
Zac’s Atlantic 10 Player of the Year– Maggie Doogan Richmond
Zac’s Defensive Player of the Year– Aryss Macktoon La Salle
Zac’s Rookie of the Year– Alyssa Koerkenmeier Saint Louis
Zac’s Sixth Woman of the Year– Vanessa Harris Rhode Island
Zac’s Most Improved Player– Nayo Lear Dayton
Zac’s Coach of the Year– Mountain MacGillivray La Salle
Zac’s All-Conference First Team
Maggie Doogan Richmond
Zahirah Walton George Mason
Palmire Mbu Rhode Island
Rachel Ullstrom Richmond
Charlise Dunn Davidson
Gabby Casey Saint Joseph’s
Zac’s All-Conference Second Team
Kennedy Harris George Mason
Aryss Macktoon La Salle
Ashleigh Connor La Salle
Brooklyn Gray Rhode Island
Nayo Lear Dayton
Ally Sweeney Richmond
Zac’s All-Conference Third Team
Laycee Drake St. Bonaventure
Alyssa Koerkenmeier Saint Louis
Aleah Snead Saint Joseph’s
Alexis Bordas Duquesne
Alexa Kinas Loyola Chicago
Gabby Reynolds George Washington
Zac’s All-Defensive Team
Aryss Macktoon La Salle
Alyssa Koerkenmeier Saint Louis
Kira Chivers Loyola Chicago
Alexa Kinas Loyola Chicago
Maggie Doogan Richmond
Zac’s All-Rookie Team
Alyssa Koerkenmeier Saint Louis
Alexis Bordas Duquesne
Vanessa Harris Rhode Island
Mary Amoateng George Mason
Alex-Anne Bessette Loyola Chicago
WBB PREPARES FOR HENRICO
The energy during Monday morning’s practice was consistent. Players made plays on top of each other, the noise not letting up much.
It is quite clear that despite a challenging conference slate, this team never broke is very much together. Even during following Sunday’s regular season finale loss to George Mason, the team was in a cheerful mood celebrating senior Raymi Coueta who was recognized before the game.
Duquesne’s practice, which included a brief film session was just north of 90 minutes, something which has been the standard for the past month or two for the team.
Duquesne’s coach Dan Burt did cite small wins, as he has following recent games, mentioning the second half against George Mason, the co-regular season champions was a tie.
Ultimately, Duquesne would cut its deficit to 10 points, make a mistake and pay. Even early the Dukes punched first but some untimely turnovers on pressure allowed George Mason to settle in. Duquesne also did not help its cause with multiple charging fouls.
For Burt, the deficit in offensive rebounding, finishing around the rim and George Mason being a good side made for a challenging afternoon.
“We continue to turn the ball over but show flashes of positivity,” he opined. “This is a season we never expected. I have not forgotten how to coach, and we will be back to our usual standard after this A-10 tournament. I don’t think I’ve had a more connected, optimistic or positive team in 19 years. They are taking care of each other. All 13 kids that traveled filled in a 10-seat table with no phone. Our future is bright but has to have some things happen. We have to grow and we will.”
Duquesne is certainly comforted by the fact that it has found form recently and is a side several opponents have privately stated they do not want to play for that exact reason. Between lineup changes and adaptability Duquesne can keep teams guessing, especially if it can get past VCU in Wednesday’s first round of the Atlantic 10 Championships.
Currently, Duquesne is on spring break meaning everything is about basketball. To Burt, this means that the season can last as long as the team wants it too.
It has been a year full of lessons for the 13th year head coach, one in which he intentionally kept looking ahead while learning from mistakes the team was making.
“You have to remain positive or you’re going to have a toxic environment,” he concluded. “Experience matters on a team with very little to any of it. I didn’t realize how much we needed that. We have to have a point guard, and we did not this year and it hurt us. It was on me. I didn’t see the need, I thought we could piecemeal it, but we needed a proven production point guard.
“We have to sit down with each player individually after the season and see what we’re looking to do. After the Final Four I can sit down and see where we need to refine and what we really need, having some challenging conversations if you’re going to come back these are the things we need to see improvement and growth. I am looking for us to continue our growth. It will not a long offseason, take a week off and get back at it when this ends to grow and get better.”
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