Guards control the pace of the game. They're scorers, distributors, defenders, and leaders on the floor. The position is played by athletes with incredibly diverse skillsets and temperments, and who is to say what combinatioin of skills is best? We have plenty of opinions ourselves, but we want to hear from you!
D3 Women's Basketball is home to many, many great guards, and the following 15 really only scratch the surface. But of these great players, which ones would you most want on your team? Read through their stats and some of their best games, and then vote for the players you think are the best in the poll below. Make as many selections as you like. The poll will close Friday at noon (pacific), so be sure to get your votes in before then, share with friends so they can vote as well, and check back Friday to see who won!
Brandi Vallely, So., BR-26 Muhlenberg (13-1)
-Assists 144 (1st)
-Steals 54 (22nd)
During the Mules recent 74-54 win over Stevens, Vallely finished with 16 points, 10 assists (with no turnovers) and 10 rebounds for her fourth triple-double of the season, breaking the D3 record for three triple-doubles set by Mount Union's Suzy Venet in 1998.
Vallely, the D3 leader in assists per game, tied the mark in just 18 career games. She is the Mules' third leading scorer as well, with an average of 13.4 ppg.
Ally Ferrucci, Sr., BR-186 Widener (12-6)
-Assists 121 (2nd)
-A/TO Ratio 1.95 (45th)
-Steals 50 (38th)
Ferruci scored 17 points and pulled down seven rebounds to go along with six assists during a 69-58 win over BR-243 Arcadia, setting a new school record for assists, topping the previous record of 480.
Just last season, Ferrucci set the single-season school record for assists when the Pride defeated the Knights in the regular season finale. Her 9.1 points-per-game ranks 4th for the Pride this season.
Katie McDaniels, Jr., BR-24 Wheaton (IL) (13-4)
-A/TO Ratio 1.97 (42nd)
-Assists 77 (28th)
A two-time College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Player of the Week already this season, McDaniels leads the Thunder in scoring with 14.5 points per game, the seventh most in the CCIW. Her 4.76 assists per game and 1.97 assist to turnover ratio both lead the conference. With 1.94 steals per game, she holds the fifth spot in the CCIW in take-aways.
During the Thunder’s last victory over BR-138 Carthage, McDaniels led all scorers with 24 points, converting a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line.
Michelle Obach, Jr., BR-9 UT Tyler (17-1)
-Assists 73 (41st)
-A/TO Ration 2.09 (38th)
-Scoring 16.9 (92nd)
-3pt FG/G – 212 (129th)
Obach’s 16.9 points per game average is the fourth highest in the American Southwest Conference, while she holds the No. 2 spot in assists with 4.3 per game as well as 3-point percentage with 44.3 percent.
The Patriots are currently on a nine-game win streak, much of which can be attributed to Obach’s offensive output. She has been named ASC Player of the Week three times already this season.
Sammi Goldsmith, Sr., BR-90 Lynchburg (14-3)
-Assist 105 (5th)
-A/TO Ratio 2.56 (19th)
A familiar name to our polls, Goldsmith earned honors as our HERO of the Week two weeks ago with her 14-assist performance at BR-320 Meredith, shattering her own school record for assists in a game. Earlier in the season, she set a new career assist mark at LC.
In addition to her passing skills, Goldsmith also kicks in 6.4 points per game for the Hornets.
Olivia Sutherland, Sr., BR-247 Albertus Magnus (10-6)
-Assists 73 (41st)
-A/TO Ratio 2.35 (23rd)
A team captain for the Falcons, Sutherland brings her leadership as well as adding 6.9 points, and 1.3 steals per-game to her assist specialty.
Katelyn Serizawa, Fr., BR-76 Chapman (11-6)
-Assists 75 (35th)
-A/TO Ratio 2.27 (26th)
The freshman guard leads the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference by over a full assist-per-game with 4.8, and assists-to-turnover ration with 2.27. She is second in the conference in steals averaging 2.4 per game.
During the Panther’s recent 65-63 victory over BR-44 Cal-Lutheran, Serizawa provided an offensive spark, pulling down 10 rebounds, scoring six points, dishing out seven assists and swiping two steals.
Megan Jacoby, Jr., BR-153 Emory & Henry (11-4)
-Assists 81 (23rd)
-A/TO Ratio 2.25 (27th)
In the Wasp’s win last week over BR-90 Lynchburg, Jacoby posted 21 points on seven-for-13 shooting from the field with two three-pointers, including a five-for-eight performance at the free throw line. She added eight assists and four rebounds with just one turnover on the night.
Currently adding 9.2 points per-per-game is good for third on the Wasp roster, and her 81 assists ranks second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
Kristen Habbel, So., BR-118 Johnson & Wales (RI) (15-2)
-Assists 77 (28th)
-A/TO Ratio 2.03 (41st)
Habbel's 4.6 assists per game are the second most in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, while her 1.8 steals per game put her in the fifth spot in that category.
On the scoring end she contributes as well, having posted 10 points, along with 5 assists and 6 steals in a JWU win over BR-367 Anna Maria last week. The sophomore averages 4.4 points per game.
Alissa Hirsh, Sr., BR-217 Grinnell (10-6)
-Assists 73 (41st)
-A/TO Ratio 1.97 (43rd)
Hirsh leads the Midwest Conference in assists with 4.7 per game, and her 13.4 points per game average ranks seventh in the league. Those numbers, along with her 1.4 steals per game, are atop the Pioneers’ stat sheet.
She posted a game-high 19 points, adding 2 assists and 2 steals during the 65-61 Pioneer victory over Beloit.
Abby Owings, So., BR-2 Thomas More (16-0)
-Assists 75 (35th)
-A/TO Ratio 2.34 (24th)
-Scoring 15.4 (169th)
-3pt FG/G 2.07 (138th)
Averaging 15.5 points, 5.1 assists and 2.1 three-pointers per-game, Owings ranks second on the Saints roster in all three categories just behind 2014-15 National Player of the Year Sydney Moss.
Owings led the way early in the season for the Saints during Moss’ absence, earning the sophomore President’s Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors back in November.
Zamica Gage, Sr., BR-361 Gallaudet (7-6)
-Assists 60 (110th)
-Scoring 18.5 (45th)
-Steals 68 (3rd)
The Bison’s Zamica Gage, was named our HERO of the Week back in November when she scored a career-high 35 points in a 74-60 loss to BR-139 Oberlin. She added nine rebounds, seven steals and three assists as she nearly had a triple-double.
Gage’s 5.2 steals per-game puts her atop the North Eastern Athletic Conference in take-aways, and her 18.5 points and 5.2 steals per-game rank her 4th in the NEAC. Her numbers lead those categories for the Bison.
Amely Del Rosario, Jr., BR-302 Lehman (12-6)
-Assists 83 (18th)
-Scoring 21.9 (5th)
-3 pt FG/G 2.12 (129th)
Del Rosario leads the Lightning with 21.9 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.6 steals per game. Her scoring and steals numbers top the CUNYAC, while her assist total ranks third.
Against BR-377 Hunter, she led all scorers with 27 points, adding six assists, four steals and three rebounds to lead the Lightning to a 74-64 victory.
Maria Simmons, Jr., BR-279 Rutgers-Newark (6-11)
-Assists 115 (4th)
-Scoring 20.4 (19th)
With 20.4 points per game, Simmons leads the Raider offense in scoring. Her 6.8 assists per game and 67 total steals also lead the team, and she also manages to pull down 6.9 rebounds per game to rank second on the Raider roster.
She leads the New Jersey Athletic Conference in assists and steals, while her scoring ranks her third in the conference.
Shawn Kolani, Sr., BR-58 Transylvania (11-6)
-Assists 76 (32nd)
-A/TO Ratio 1.90 (48th)
-3pt FG/G – 2.13 (122nd)
Leading the Pioneers in both assists and steals, Kolani’s 9.4 points per-game also ranks third on the roster. She ranks second in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in assists.
Kolani pumped in six 3-pointers on the way to a game-high 21 points as the Transylvania women's basketball team won over BR-244 Mt. St. Joseph 82-72. She came just one assist shy of a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, and two steals in 34 minutes of effort.
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