Wade Trophy winner and two-time all-American Seimone Augustus from Louisiana State University heads the 2005 Women's Basketball Coaches Association/Kodak all-America team announced April 2 at the Women's Final Four.

This year marks the 31st anniversary of the award.

"It is the most prestigious of the all-American teams in women's basketball," said Beth Bass, the chief executive officer of the WBCA. "One is because of its history. There are other all-America teams, but people want to know if you were on this team. It's always been the benchmark for every player and every coach, and it has brought tremendous exposure to the women's game over the years."

Others on the 2005 team are Janel McCarville of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and Sophia Young from Baylor University. McCarville is a two-time all-America selection. Young is a senior on the Baylor team that won the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.

Candice Wiggins from Stanford University became the ninth freshman to be named in the history of the award -- the longest running sponsorship in women's athletics.

Hunter Low, who is referred to as "the father of the all-American team," was an executive with Kodak when the decision was made to honor the top 10 women's basketball players from around the nation.

"We started to sponsor clinics and other girls' basketball activities," Low said. "I remember going to the women's national championship (administered at that time by the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women), and they were basically against any individual recognition program. But we pushed hard and became a sponsor, thereby establishing the award."

Through the years, new names join the list of legendary players such as Ann Meyers, Lusia Harris, Nancy Lieberman, Lynette Woodard and Cheryl Miller.

A nine-member committee representing NCAA Divisions I, II, III and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics makes the selections.

"When a coach sees that one of his or her players didn't make it, those are some of the most difficult situations because it's so prestigious," Bass said. "It is the better housekeeping seal of approval in our world. When that list comes out, people are waiting with bated breath. They want to know if their student-athlete made it."

The winner of the Wade Trophy, which goes to the national player of the year, also is announced with all 10 players present.

"It has become very Heisman-esque," Bass said. "When you say women's collegiate basketball, the naming of this team is a cornerstone of our sport."

And that cornerstone looks solid, as the WBCA and Kodak recently announced a four-year contract extension.