Pickens Earns WBCA Coach of the Year, Roshak Garners WBCA First-Team Status

A decade ago, Ashland University head women's basketball coach Kari Pickens was finishing making her mark as an NCAA Division II basketball player.
 
Pickens is in her fifth season as the Eagles' head coach, and she continues to mark her mark on the sport at the D-II level, and on Friday (March 17) morning, she was named the 2022-23 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year.
 
The WBCA has had both the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year and Player of the Year award since 1983, and Pickens becomes the first woman to earn both awards (Player of the Year in 2011-12 and 2012-13). She also is the first coach at any NCAA division to win both National Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year (2016-17) awards.
 
Pickens will receive the Pat Summitt Trophy, named for the late legendary University of Tennessee coach and awarded annually to the national coaches of the year in each of the WBCA's six membership divisions. She is the third AU women's basketball head coach to be named WBCA D-II Coach of the Year, joining Robyn Fralick (2016-17 and 2017-18) and Sue Ramsey (2011-12).
 
"The WBCA is proud to announce Kari Pickens as the 2023 recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy presented to the WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. "Kari was chosen for this honor after leading her team to an exceptional season. The WBCA recognizes and applauds her leadership example that can be seen in her student-athletes, institution and community."
 
Pickens has guided Ashland to a 34-0 record, as the Eagles are the only undefeated team in Division II. AU's No. 1-ranked women's basketball team will play in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight on Monday (March 20) at 7 p.m. against the University of Texas at Tyler (27-7) in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
Should the Eagles win the national championship, Pickens, who has a career head coaching record of 139-15 (.903), will become the first woman to win an NCAA Division II women's basketball national title as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
 
Pickens wasn't the only member of the Ashland University women's basketball team to be honored by the WBCA on Friday, as senior forward Annie Roshak was named a first-team WBCA D-II All-American.
 
This is the second consecutive season Roshak has been a WBCA All-American, as she was an honorable mention choice in 2021-22. She is AU's first WBCA first-teamer since Jodi Johnson in 2019-20.
 
Through the D-II Midwest Regional Tournament, Roshak's 2022-23 statistics include 14.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 22.9 minutes per game, and shooting percentages of 63.9 from the field, 48.3 from 3-point range and 93.5 from the free-throw line. Her field-goal percentage is third-best in the nation.
 
Roshak's senior-season awards also have included second-team College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America, Midwest Regional all-tournament team, 2022-23 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year and first-team All-Great Midwest.
  2022-23 – Kari Pickens
2017-18 – Robyn Fralick
2016-17 – Robyn Fralick
2011-12 – Sue Ramsey
  2022-23 – Annie Roshak (first-team)
2021-22 – Annie Roshak (honorable mention)
2019-20 – Jodi Johnson (first-team)
2018-19 – Jodi Johnson (honorable mention)
2017-18 – Jodi Johnson (first-team)
2017-18 – Laina Snyder (first-team)
2017-18 – Andi Daugherty (honorable mention)
2016-17 – Andi Daugherty (first-team)
2016-17 – Laina Snyder (first-team)
2015-16 – Andi Daugherty (honorable mention)
2015-16 – Laina Snyder (honorable mention)
2012-13 – Kari Daugherty (first team)
2011-12 – Kari Daugherty (first team)