Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus San Diego State on February 4, 2026 , Win , 57, to, 44
W Basketball
vs San Diego State
W 57-44
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Taylor Hansen
Graham, Brown grab preseason WAC honors
10/19/2021 8:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro
Coaches, media name defending conference scoring champ to 1st team
Whether it is Amara Graham scoring more than 1,000 career points or Tiarra Brown becoming a starter for the last 15 games last season, Grand Canyon has a dynamic duo demanding respect for the upcoming season.
Graham was an All-WAC second-team pick despite leading the conference in scoring last season, but was named to the Preseason All-WAC first team by coaches and media Tuesday after transferring from UT Rio Grande Valley to GCU. The conference coaches and media also agreed on Brown, a sophomore guard, belonging on the Preseason All-WAC second team.
With those two players leading a team that went 18-7 last season, GCU was tabbed to finish third in the WAC by coaches and fourth by media pollsters.
Graham, a graduate student, injects offense into a Lopes team known for its penchant for pressure defense. The 5-foot-6 combo guard averaged 16.5 points, a 5.7-point jump from the previous season, and 2.7 assists last season while setting a career high with 5.3 rebounds her game. She scored 24 points in three of her final five games last season, bringing her career scoring total to 1,029.
"AG has gained a lot of respect around the league over the years and it's no surprise that she is considered one of the best guards in the conference," GCU head coach Molly Miller said. "She is a great addition to our team and will make a big impact right away."
As a freshman last season, Brown overcame an early-season hamstring injury to find her stride and earn a starting job for the final 15 games. Brown, whose older sister, Tianna, is a teammate, averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 25.7 minutes per game and shot 43% from 3-point range during WAC play.
"Tiarra is a player that can do it all, and after a great freshman season, it is nice to see others appreciate her game the way we do," Miller said. "She does so much for us and fits the system to a T. She is going to continue to make a name for herself in this league and as a Lope."
In Miller's first season at the Lopes' helm last season, GCU reached its first WAC Tournament title game and ranked second nationally for steals per game (13.4) and turnover margin (plus-8.4 per game) and fourth in turnovers forced per game (23.3).
The opportunities led to the Lopes setting a Division I-era program record with 73.8 points per game, a 13.5-point jump from the previous season.
"The league is very strong this year and I believe extremely deep," Miller said. "Our focus will be one competitive game at a time. We have some big goals that we wish to accomplish, and although recognition around the league is appreciated, I believe it's important to raise the bar even higher for our program as we chase our first WAC championship."
Graham was an All-WAC second-team pick despite leading the conference in scoring last season, but was named to the Preseason All-WAC first team by coaches and media Tuesday after transferring from UT Rio Grande Valley to GCU. The conference coaches and media also agreed on Brown, a sophomore guard, belonging on the Preseason All-WAC second team.With those two players leading a team that went 18-7 last season, GCU was tabbed to finish third in the WAC by coaches and fourth by media pollsters.
Graham, a graduate student, injects offense into a Lopes team known for its penchant for pressure defense. The 5-foot-6 combo guard averaged 16.5 points, a 5.7-point jump from the previous season, and 2.7 assists last season while setting a career high with 5.3 rebounds her game. She scored 24 points in three of her final five games last season, bringing her career scoring total to 1,029.
"AG has gained a lot of respect around the league over the years and it's no surprise that she is considered one of the best guards in the conference," GCU head coach Molly Miller said. "She is a great addition to our team and will make a big impact right away."
As a freshman last season, Brown overcame an early-season hamstring injury to find her stride and earn a starting job for the final 15 games. Brown, whose older sister, Tianna, is a teammate, averaged 11.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 25.7 minutes per game and shot 43% from 3-point range during WAC play."Tiarra is a player that can do it all, and after a great freshman season, it is nice to see others appreciate her game the way we do," Miller said. "She does so much for us and fits the system to a T. She is going to continue to make a name for herself in this league and as a Lope."
In Miller's first season at the Lopes' helm last season, GCU reached its first WAC Tournament title game and ranked second nationally for steals per game (13.4) and turnover margin (plus-8.4 per game) and fourth in turnovers forced per game (23.3).
The opportunities led to the Lopes setting a Division I-era program record with 73.8 points per game, a 13.5-point jump from the previous season.
"The league is very strong this year and I believe extremely deep," Miller said. "Our focus will be one competitive game at a time. We have some big goals that we wish to accomplish, and although recognition around the league is appreciated, I believe it's important to raise the bar even higher for our program as we chase our first WAC championship."
Coaches' Preseason WAC Player of the Year |
|
| Player | School |
| Ane Oleata, graduate guard | California Baptist |
Coaches' Preseason All-WAC first team |
|
| Player | School |
| Maria Carvalho, junior guard | Utah Valley |
| Amara Graham, graduate guard | GCU |
| Zya Nugent, junior guard | Stephen F. Austin |
| Ane Oleata, graduate guard | California Baptist |
| Britney Thomas, senior forward | California Baptist |
| Stephanie Visscher, senior guard | Stephen F. Austin |
| Josie Williams, junior center | Utah Valley |
| Micaela Wilson, graduate forward | Lamar |
Coaches' Preseason All-WAC second team |
|
| Player | School |
| Sara Bershers, sophomore guard | UT Rio Grande Valley |
| Tiarra Brown, sophomore guard | GCU |
| Bree Calhoun, senior guard | Seattle U |
| Faith Cook, senior guard | Sam Houston |
| Caitlyn Harper, sophomore forward | California Baptist |
| Aiyana Johnson, senior forward/center | Stephen F. Austin |
| Madi Miller, senior guard | Abilene Christian |
| McKenzi Williams, senior guard | Seattle U |
Coaches' preseason poll |
|||
| Rank | Team (first-place votes) | Points | |
| 1 |
 |
California Baptist (6) | 137 |
| 2 |
 |
Stephen F. Austin (6) | 133 |
| 3 |
 |
GCU (1) | 112 |
| 4 |
 |
Utah Valley | 106 |
| 5 |
 |
Abilene Christian | 91 |
| 6 |
 |
Sam Houston | 86 |
| 7 |
 |
New Mexico State | 80 |
| 8 |
 |
Lamar | 63 |
| T9 |
 |
Seattle U | 61 |
| T9 |
 |
UT Rio Grande Valley | 54 |
| 11 |
 |
Tarleton | 43 |
| 12 |
 |
Dixie State | 25 |
| 13 |
 |
Chicago State | 14 |
Media Preseason WAC Player of the Year |
|
| Player | School |
| Ane Oleata, graduate guard | Utah Valley |
Media Preseason All-WAC first team |
|
| Player | School |
| Maria Carvalho, junior guard | Utah Valley |
| Amara Graham, graduate guard | GCU |
| Aiyana Johnson, senior forward/center | Stephen F. Austin |
| Ane Oleata, graduate guard | California Baptist |
| Britney Thomas, senior forward | Califorina Baptist |
| Stephanie Visscher, senior guard | Stephen F. Austin |
| Josie Williams, junior center | Utah Valley |
| Micaela Wilson, graduate forward | Lamar |
Media Preseason All-WAC second team |
|
| Player | School |
| Tiarra Brown, sophomore guard | GCU |
| Bree Calhoun, senior guard | Seattle U |
| Faith Cook, senior guard | Sam Houston |
| Marissa Escamilla, senior forward | Tarleton |
| Caitlyn Harper, sophomore forward | California Baptist |
| Soufia Inoussa, junior guard | New Mexico State |
| Madi Miller, senior guard | Abilene Christian |
| Zya Nugent, junior guard | Stephen F. Austin |
Media preseason poll |
|||
| Rank | Team | ||
| 1 |
|
California Baptist | |
| 2 |
|
Stephen F. Austin | |
| 3 |
|
Utah Valley | |
| 4 |
|
Grand Canyon | |
| 5 |
|
Sam Houston | |
| 6 |
|
New Mexico State | |
| 7 |
|
Lamar | |
| 8 |
|
Abilene Christian | |
| 9 |
|
Seattle U | |
| 10 |
|
UT Rio Grande Valley | |
| 11 |
|
Tarleton | |
| 12 |
|
Dixie State | |
| 13 |
|
Chicago State | |
Players Mentioned
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