The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Collier named Second Team AP All-American
03.17.2021 | Women's Basketball
The junior forward/center is the 13th All-American in program history, and first since 2018.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Women's Basketball junior forward/center Charli Collier named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press on Wednesday. She becomes the 13th player in program history to earn All-America honors, and the first since 2018.
Collier has produced one of the best individual seasons in school history, averaging 20.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game this season. She has recorded 17 double-doubles, the second-most of any Division I player, and has helped Texas put together an 18-9 record to date. Entering the Big 12 tournament last weekend, Collier was the only player in the country averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds this year. On the court, she has produced 20-plus points on 16 occasions – the second-most by a Big 12 player – and eight 15-rebound efforts. Collier recorded the first 20-20 game by a Longhorn since 2012 back in January vs. TCU, scoring 23 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. In addition, she is anchoring a Texas defense that is allowing only 62.8 points per game – the third-best average in the Big 12 conference. The Longhorns also rank at the top of the league in turnovers forced per game and turnover margin this season.
Collier's individual accolades during the 2020-21 season are numerous. To date, she has been named a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award (nation's top center), was selected to the Wooden Award National Ballot and was chosen as a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to her All-America honor. The Mont Belvieu, Texas native was a unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection and chosen to the league's All-Defensive Team in the conference's postseason awards. She was named the Big 12 Player of the Week twice this season (Nov. 30; Jan. 25) and the Jersey Mike's Naismith National Player of the Week once (Jan. 26).
Collier and the Longhorns enter the NCAA Tournament this week as a No. 6 seed in the Hemisfair Region. They will face 11th-seeded Bradley in the first round on Monday night in San Marcos, Texas. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
