DENVER - The 2007-08 all-Western Athletic Conference teams have been named, following a vote of the WAC’s head coaches. Fresno State’s Tierre Wilson headlines the awards, receiving the 2007-08 WAC Player of the Year honor. Wilson, a 5-8 senior guard from Lawton, Okla. (Eisenhower HS) becomes just the second player in Fresno State history to earn the award.

Third-year head coach Adrian Wiggins earns Fresno State’s first-ever WAC Coach of the Year honors. Wiggins led the Bulldogs to a 14-2 record through WAC play, earning his team a share of this year’s WAC regular season championship. The title marks the first conference championship in Fresno State’s 43-year history.

Nevada’s Dellena Criner earned the WAC’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year honor. Criner, a 5-7 junior guard from Hayward, Calif. (Fremont), recorded 68 steals in 29 games this season for the Pack. Criner was also named to the first team all-WAC squad and to the all-Defensive team.

Fresno State’s Jaleesa Ross has been named the WAC’s Newcomer of the Year. Ross, a 5-8 freshman guard from Pinole, Calif. (Pinole Valley), becomes the first Fresno State player to receive the honor. Ross led the WAC this season from beyond the arc, connecting on 79 threes this season.

Five different schools are represented on the first team, including Nevada’s Criner, Boise State’s Tasha Harris, New Mexico State’s Sherell Neal, Louisiana Tech’s JoKeirra Sneed, and Fresno State’s Wilson. Criner earns her second-straight all-WAC first team honor, while Harris, Neal, Sneed, and Wilson receive the first team honor for the first time. Neal and Wilson were named to last year’s all-WAC second team.

The all-WAC second teamers were Anikia Jawara, New Mexico State; Katie Madison, Idaho; Jaleesa Ross, Fresno State; Tanya Smith, Hawai‘i and Jessica Thompson, Boise State. This marks the second all-WAC honor for both Smith and Thompson as each received first team honors last season. Madison receives her second-straight second team all-WAC award.

The all-Freshman team contains five players from four different teams. Fresno State led the way with two players, Hayley Munro and Jaleesa Ross. Idaho’s Yinka Olorunnife, New Mexico State’s Madison Spence, and Louisiana Tech’s Tarkeisha Wysinger were also named to the all-Freshman team.

Nevada’s Criner and New Mexico State’s Neal make their second-straight appearances on the all-Defensive team. Nevada’s Cherlanda Franklin, Boise State’s Harris, and Hawai‘i’s Smith also received all-Defensive team honors, each for the first time.

The 2008 WAC Tournament will be held March 11-15, at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. The women’s tournament schedule includes one first round game on March 11, four quarterfinal games on March 12, semifinals on March 14 and the championship on March 15.

Dellena Criner, Jr., G, Nevada                 

Tasha Harris, Jr., G, Boise State                   

Sherell Neal, Sr., F, New Mexico State

JoKeirra Sneed, Sr., F, Louisiana Tech

Tierre Wilson, Sr., G, Fresno State