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April 1, 2006

Knoxville, Tenn. - University of Tennessee freshman basketball star Candace Parker has been named a Kodak/WBCA All-American announced the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) in cooperation with Eastman Kodak Company on Saturday. Parker was selected to the 10-member team by WBCA member coaches from a group of 48 finalists.

"Being named as a Kodak All-American is an outstanding honor and personally means a great deal to me," said Parker. "However, it is more so a reflection on my Tennessee coaches and teammates and all of my past coaches and teammates who helped me to become the player I am today."

"I remember hearing about Tamika Catchings joining Chamique Holdsclaw as a freshman Kodak All-American at Tennessee and thinking how neat that was for Tamika to receive that honor. Every time I walk into our locker room at the Arena, I pass by all of the Kodak All-America posters -- players like Holly Warlick, Cindy Brogdon, Bridgette Gordon and the Three Meeks -- it will be a tremendous honor for me to join such a prestigious group of Lady Vols."

Tennessee has now produced 19 different All-Americans, who account for 33 honors since 1976. Catchings (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) and Holdsclaw (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) are the only two Lady Vols to garner All-America recognition all four years of collegiate play. Parker joins them as the three Lady Vols to earn top honors during their rookie campaigns.

"This is an outstanding honor for Candace," said Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt. "She is truly a deserving Kodak All-American and has demonstrated this entire season that she may be the best player in the women.s collegiate game."

Parker, the 6-4 multi position player from Naperville, Ill. earned first team All-Southeastern Conference honors, was named to the SEC all-freshman team and became the fourth Lady Vol to earn SEC Freshman of the Year. Her game-winning shot lifted Tennessee to a 63-62 victory against top-seeded Louisiana State in the SEC Championship and earned her tournament MVP. She averaged 21 points and 10 boards during the conference tournament and became just the second rookie in league history to pick up top-freshman and tournament MVP in the same year.

Against Army on March 19, she became the first female to dunk during an NCAA tournament game and the first female to dunk twice in a single collegiate contest. She averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per outing during the NCAA Tournament, led all tournament participants in free throw attempts, ranked second in blocked shots and fifth in points scored through the first four games. She was also named to the All-Region team in the Cleveland Regional.

The only Lady Vol to start in every game this season, she led the team in scoring 18 times and in rebounding on 22 occasions. She averaged 18.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game in 17 outings against ranked opponents during her rookie campaign.

Tennessee fans knew Parker would be special when she became just the 10th Lady Vol to start the first game of the year as a freshman. In that game she posted a double-double, her first of ten this season. She was named the Philips Player of the Game on eight occasions (Georgia, LSU, Kentucky, Duke, Mississippi State, Georgia, Stanford and Stetson), the SEC Freshman of the Week four times (12/5, 12/19, 1/10 and 1/16), the SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 16, the Lady Vol Athlete of the Week twice (1/16, 11/28) and the Lady Vol Athlete of the month for January and March. She also was named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team and garnered Most Valuable Player honors.

Parker averaged 17.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.9 apg and 2.4 bpg this year and finished her freshman season ranked second in points (622) and third in rebounds (298) by a rookie in the UT record books. She established a new Lady Vol record for single-season free throw attempts (218).

Her success was not limited to the hardwood. The conference office announced Wednesday that Parker and five of her teammates earned spots on the SEC 2005-06 academic honor roll.

On Friday, USA Basketball added Parker to the roster for the 2006 USA Women.s Senior National Team.s final spring training session, April 1-12. She joins former Lady Vol All-American Kara Lawson on the squad that will be training in Boston April 1-4. The team will prepare for the April 7-12 Opals World Challenge, featuring Australia, China and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), in Cairns and Canberra, Australia. USA Basketball will announce the final 12-member 2006 USA World Championship Team by the end of June.

Parker and the Lady Vols faced 21 of the other 47 finalists during the 2005-06 campaign and posted a 14-3 record against their 14 teams (Notre Dame (1-0), Temple (1-0), Rutgers (1-0), Connecticut (1-0), Duke (0-1), Maryland (1-0), North Carolina (0-1), Louisiana State (1-1), Georgia (3-0), Mississippi (1-0), Texas (1-0), Michigan State (1-0), Louisiana Tech (1-0) and Stanford (1-0)). Tennessee faced six of the other nine schools represented on the All-America Team. The SEC was the most heavily represented, placing three student-athletes on the 10-member squad.

Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit www.wbca.org.

2005-06 Kodak/WBCA All-America Team: