In Alaska women’s basketball history, “Who is the Greatest Of All Time?”.
Alaskan women who dominated in high school, excelled in collegiate basketball, and in many cases pioneered in professional basketball are honored in a Alaska’s Greatest Women’s Basketball 64-Player Bracket released December 24th by the Alaska Sports Report.
The Alaska Sports Report, headed by Van Williams, has compiled a 64- player bracket and a detailed, player description of Alaska’s most talented and most acclaimed female basketball players encompassing six decades from the mid-1970’s through the present.
Receiving #1 rankings onto the bracket are Jessica Moore, Kelsey Griffin, Ruthy Hebard and Jeannie Hebert.
Jessica Moore from Colony High School (2000), was a high school Parade All-American; a three-time NCAA champion at the University of Connecticut, and played nine years in the WNBA.
Kelsey Griffin, Chugiak High (2005), was Big 12 Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-American at Nebraska; played in the WNBA and internationally, winning four WNBL championships and three Grand Final MVP awards.
Ruthy Hebard, three-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year from Fairbanks (2015), earned First-Team All-American and two-time Katrina McClain Award winner given to the country’s top power forward playing at the University of Oregon. Hebard is first Alaskan to play on a WNBA championship team with the Chicago Sky.
Jeannie Hebert, NCAA Freshman All-American and All-Big East Conference guard and Miami Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. Head coach for multiple 4A state champions at Wasilla High School.
The Kenai Peninsula received six bracketed rankings; three for Soldotna High School, two for Kenai Central and one for Homer High School.
Molly Tuter earns a #2 ranking on the 64-person bracket. Tuter, a 1993 graduate of Soldotna High School, lead the Stars to the 1993 4A basketball state championship. Tuter was a two-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year; a four-year starter at Arizona State University and twice named to All Pac-10; and was inducted into the ASU Sports Hall of Fame (2011). Tuter was the First Alaskan to play in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury.
#8 seed Kailee Skjold, SoHi class of 2013, ranks 5th in rebounds and 10th in scoring all-time for the University of Fairbanks Nanooks.
#9 seed Jody Henson, Homer class of 1991, Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year lead the Mariners to three-straight 3A state championships; University of Northern Arizona’s all-time leader in three-point field goals made (92) and attempted (307). Henson’s coaching credentials include: the second woman to coach a men’s team at a four-year college as assistant at UAA in 1996-97, head coach at University of New Mexico, assistant coach at DI Clemson.
#10 seed Stacia Rustad, Kenai Central High School Class of 1992, lead the Kardinals to the 1991 4A Basketball State Championship and 1992 4A State Runner- Up. A three-time All-Region and two time All-State Selection in basketball, Stacia was named Alaska Daily News Female Athlete of the Year in 1992 and was also recognized by both Converse and USA Today as the 1992 Alaska Player of the Year. At the University of Maine, Stacia was the 1995 and 1996 Scholar Athlete of the Year; played on three conference championship teams and twice played in the NCAA Division I National Tournament.
#10 seed Mendy Benson, KCHS Class of 1993, played on the Kardinal’s 1991 4A state championship team, 1992 4A state runner-up and 1993 4A state runner-up teams. Mendy played at Kansas State and University of Oregon, qualifying to the national tournament with the Ducks.
#12 seed Karen Senette, SoHi Class of 2010, was selected MVP of Northern Lights Conference in 2010. Karen played over 100 games at NIAI DIII Elmhurst, twice earning all-CCIW honors.
