Starks and Gant Earn AP All-America Honors
Apr 01, 2009 | Women's Basketball
April 1, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M women's basketball players Takia Starks and Danielle Gant were recently named All-America honorable mention selections by The Associated Press.
Both led the program to new heights during the course of their four-year careers in Aggieland with back-to-back Big 12 Conference championship trophies, a program-best No. 3 national ranking in the polls and four-straight NCAA Tournaments including a historic run to the Elite Eight in 2008 and Sweet 16 in 2009. The Aggies compiled an impressive 104-32 (.765) four-year record under Starks, Gant and senior center La Toya Micheaux.
Starks, a 5-foot-8 senior guard out of Houston, Texas, will go down in school history as one of the greatest players to ever don the Maroon and White and earned her second career nod on the AP All-America honorable mention list. She closed out her career as the school's all-time leader in scoring (1,977), field goals made (783), field goals attempted (1,913), three-point field goals made (178) and three-point field goals attempted (517). A three-time All-Big 12 Conference First Team selection, Starks was a preseason vote getter for the State Farm Wade Trophy, John R. Wooden and Naismith Awards as well as first team All-America honors by The Sporting News. She was also a Senior CLASS Award finalist and named one of the top two-guards in the nation by ESPN.com.
Gant, a 5-foot-11 senior combination guard/forward out of Oklahoma City, Okla., was tabbed Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as well as to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team for the third year in a row. One of the most versatile players in the country and a two-time All-Big 12 First Team selection, Gant was honored on the 2009 Big 12 All-Tournament Team. In the preseason, she received third-team All-America honors by Sports Illustrated and was rewarded for her accomplishments in the classroom with the 2009 Academic Momentum Award. Gant finished out her career ranked third all-time in scoring (1,645), second in rebounding (919), second in field goals made (646), third in free throws made (352), fourth in blocked shots (110) and third all-time in steals (269).
Starks and Gant are one of only four all-time A&M players on six occasions to receive All-America honors by the AP. They are joined by former standouts Lisa Branch (1993-96) and A'Quonesia Franklin (2005-08). Starks and Franklin are the only two-time selections of the elite group.
