March 1, 2016
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior Aaliyah Whiteside of the Georgia Tech women’s basketball team has garnered All-ACC First Team honors from the ACC’s Blue Ribbon Panel, ACC Commissioner John Swofford announced on Tuesday.
“I am so excited for Aaliyah,” head coach MaChelle Joseph said. “She deserves this honor. She is without a doubt the most improved player in the ACC this year. Aaliyah has been the heart and soul of our team all season long and has provided great leadership to a very young team.”
Whiteside has been named to the All-ACC First Team by the Blue Ribbon Panel, which consists of media, school representatives and the ACC’s head coaches, after an impressive senior season where she led the ACC in scoring. Whiteside is the sixth Jacket to earn All-ACC First Team accolades. Whiteside’s appointment on the All-ACC First Team marks the fourth-straight year Tech has had a player honored on the first team. This is the first postseason award for Whiteside. She was named the ACC Player of the Week earlier this season on Nov. 16.
Whiteside is the third Jacket under Joseph to garner the accolade joining Tyaunna Marshall (2013, 2014) and Kaela Davis (2015). Tech’s three other All-ACC first team members are Kisha Ford (1997), Sonja Mallory (2003) and Ida Neal (1989).
Whiteside has had an incredible senior season, leading the ACC in scoring the entire year. She is averaging 19.4 points per game which leads the league and is 38th in the NCAA. She also leads the ACC in scoring in conference games with 18.9 points per game. Whiteside has recorded an ACC-high 16 20+ point games. She scored 31 points on two separate occasions against NC State and Clemson. Whiteside has scored in double figures in 27 of 29 games this season and has led the Yellow Jackets on the offensive end in 19 games.
The Memphis, Tenn., native has also cemented her name in Georgia Tech’s record book in a few places this year. Whiteside made her 431st free throw of her career against Boston College, breaking Georgia Tech’s school record of career made free throws. Joyce Pierce (1991-93) previously held the record with 455 made free throws. Whiteside began this season ranked 10th on list with 286 but quickly catapulted up the list and currently has made 475 shots from the foul line. Whiteside ranks second in the nation in made free throws and fourth in attempted free throws this season. Her 475 career free throws made rank eighth among all active players in the NCAA.
Whiteside has also shot up the all-time scoring list. She started off this season with 936 career points. On Nov. 18 she became the 29th Yellow Jacket to score her 1,000th career point. Whiteside has gone from 29th to ninth on GT’s all-time scoring list with her 1,499 career points. She needs 59 more points to tie Joyce Pierce for 8th. She is also in 10th on Tech’s career 3-pointers made list with 104 made 3-pointers.
Whiteside isn’t just a scorer though. She averages 7.2 rebounds per game which is 10th-best in the ACC and leads the Jackets in assists per game, averaging 2.7. The captain also averages 1.6 steals per game. She has recorded five double-doubles this season, including Tech’s first points-assists double-double since 2013.
Whiteside and the Yellow Jackets are back in action on Thursday as the #7 seed in the 2016 ACC Tournament. Georgia Tech faces the winner of #10 Wake Forest and #15 Clemson at 6:00 p.m. in the second round on RSN/ESPN3 at the Greensboro Coliseum.
2016 All-ACC First Team
Azurá Stevens, So., F/G, Duke
Shakayla Thomas, So., F, Florida State
Aaliyah Whiteside, Sr., G/F, Georgia Tech
Myisha Hines-Allen, So., F, Louisville
Mariya Moore, So., F, Louisville
Adrienne Motley, Jr., G, Miami
Lindsay Allen, Jr., G, Notre Dame
Madison Cable, GS, G, Notre Dame
Brianna Turner, So., F, Notre Dame
Alexis Peterson, Jr., G, Syracuse
Second Team
Adut Bulgak, Sr., C, Florida State
Rebecca Greenwell, R-So., G, Duke
Stephanie Watts, Fr., G, North Carolina
Miah Spencer, Jr., G, NC State
Dominique Wilson, R-Jr., G, NC State
All-Freshman Team
Mariella Fasoula, Fr., C, Boston College
Asia Durr, Fr., G, Louisville
Stephanie Watts, Fr., G, North Carolina
Destinee Walker, Fr., G, North Carolina
Marina Mabrey, Fr., G, Notre Dame
Arike Ogunbowale, Fr., G, Notre Dame
Brenna Wise, Fr., G/F, Pitt
Ariel Stephenson, Fr., G, Wake Forest
