ATLANTA, Ga. – Saint Joseph's College senior guard Cassandra Stapelfeld (Brookline, N.H.) is one of 30 players to earn honorable mention status on the 2022 NCAA Division III All-American squads, as announced earlier this week by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Stapelfeld joins former standout and current assistant coach Kelsi McNamara '19 as one of two players in the history of the SJC women's basketball program to have earned WBCA All-America honors. The senior guard has claimed an impressive list of awards this year, as following the completion of the 2021-22 season she garnered First Team All-Conference, First Team All-State, and D3hoops.com Region 1 Second Team accolades.
Stapelfeld takes home the national honor after contributing 17.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 47.2% (170-360) from the field, 40.8% (69-169) from three-point range, and 81.4% (70-86) from the free throw line over 27 contests this winter. She closed out the season ranked second in the GNAC in points (479), three-pointers made (69) and three-point percentage and third in scoring average and field goals made (170).
Stapelfeld is one of just 10 players from the two New England regions to collect MWBCA All-America honors, as she joins Maggie Russell (Tufts), Dani Valdez (Amherst), Christina Antonakakis (MIT), Anna Barry (Eastern Conn.), Megan Bauman (Babson), Bailey Donovan (Husson), Sam Hourihan (Springfield), Katelyn Pickunka (Smith), and Caleigh Ryan (Wesleyan) on the short list.
Stapelfeld and Husson's Donovan are the only two players hailing from a Maine institution to be honored this year.
Stapelfeld, who played at Endicott College as a freshman and at Simmons University her sophomore season, transferred to Saint Joseph's prior to the start of the 2019-20 campaign and completed her college career with 1,683 points in 111 games for a 15.2 PPG average. She closed out her senior season ranked third among active NCAA DIII players in free-throw percentage (85.1%, 297-349), eighth in three-pointers made (232), ninth in points and 18th in field goals made (577).
In 61 games at Saint Joseph's, the two-time All-GNAC honoree netted 888 points for a 14.6 PPG average while shooting 43.8% (312-712) from the field, 38.3% (133-347) from downtown, and 83.4% (131-157) from the FT line. She leaves the program ranked fourth in team history in FT% and three-point percentage, seventh in three-pointers made, and ninth in scoring average.
Under the watch of 30th-year Head Coach Mike McDevitt '83, the Monks enjoyed another fantastic season with a 22-5 (.815) overall record, including a 14-2 (.875) mark in GNAC play, en route to claiming the #3 seed in the GNAC Tournament.
After defeating #6 Rivier and #2 Albertus Magnus in the first two rounds of the tourney, the Monks advanced to the GNAC Championship game for the sixth-consecutive season. Playing at top-seeded Emmanuel College in the title bout, St. Joe's nearly overcame a slow start with a strong second half but ultimately fell short, 78-70, in what was the sixth GNAC Championship matchup featuring the pair of conference contenders.
