UCLA WBB Garners Pac-12 Recognition Ahead of Conference Tournament
San Francisco, Calif. – Michaela Onyenwere and Charisma Osborne garnered All-Pac-12 honors, the Pac-12 announced Monday. Osborne also earned a spot on the All-Defensive team while Emily Bessoir received All-Freshman acclaim. Awards and honorees were determined following a vote from the league's head coaches.
Michaela Onyenwere – All-Pac-12
Onyenwere was named an All-Pac-12 honoree for the third-consecutive season, becoming UCLA's first three-time honoree since Jordin Canada (2016-18). The senior is averaging 18.2 points per game and has moved into ninth place on UCLA's all-time scoring list with 1,776 points. The Aurora, Colo., native has notched five double-doubles on the year, including a dominant performance against Oregon (Jan. 3) that saw her post a career-high 33 points to go with 10 boards. She most recently scored 30 points on Senior Night against USC (Feb. 26), going 6-for-6 from long range to help the Bruins knock down a team-record 16 triples. The preseason AP All-American has helped UCLA to a 14-4 record and a first-round bye in the upcoming Pac-12 Tournament. Onyenwere is a founding member of the team's More Than a D.R.E.A.M. initiative is a top-10 finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. She is also a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award, the award presented annually to the nation's top small forward.
Charisma Osborne – All-Pac-12 / All-Defensive Team
Osborne was named to the All-Pac-12 list for the first time in her career. The sophomore is averaging a career-high 18.1 points per game after notching just 12.2 ppg a year ago. She has scored in double figures in all but two of the Bruins' games this season and put together a streak of seven-straight 20+ point performances from Jan. 3 – Feb. 7. The Moreno Valley, Calif., native posted a dominant performance against USC (Feb. 26), putting up 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists for just the ninth triple-double in program history. Osborne has also taken great strides as a floor general, transitioning to point guard this season following the graduation of Japreece Dean. Osborne has already dished out 72 assists this season after recording just 44 in 2019-20. Her placement on the All-Defensive team comes after honorable mention acclaim for the defensive list last season. Osborne has nabbed 31 steals this year and is often assigned to the opposing team's primary perimeter playmaker. She becomes the first Bruin since Kennedy Burke (2019) to earn a spot on the All-Defensive team.
Emily Bessoir – All-Freshman Team
Bessoir was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team, marking the fourth-consecutive season a Bruin has been tabbed to the All-Freshman squad. The Munich, Germany native is fourth on the team with 8.1 points per game and has scored in double figures in six games this season. She has played over 20 minutes per game on a limited roster, establishing a critical role in the rotation. Bessoir has been clutch in important moments this season, scoring a career-high 15 points against then-No. 1 Stanford (Dec. 21) and knocking down a dagger three-pointer in the team's win over Arizona State (Jan. 29). Bessoir has impressively adjusted to life in the United States as an international student-athlete and has had to learn the ropes as the only freshman in her class to actually suit up for the Bruins this season.
Natalie Chou – All-Pac-12 (Honorable Mention)
Natalie Chou was an Honorable Mention for the All-Pac-12 list, as she received at least one vote from the Conference's head coaches. Chou is averaging a career-high 10.6 points per game, exceeding her previous career-best average of 7.4 (2019-20). She has compiled 191 points through 18 games after putting up 214 points through 29 games last season. She has scored in double figures in 11 games this season, including a career-high 28 points against Utah (Jan. 10) that saw her knock down five triples on her way to Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. The senior is also averaging a career-high 4.4 rebounds per contest and has recorded at least five boards in nine games this season.