Janel McCarville completed her Gophers women’s basketball career as the only player to compete in four NCAA Tournaments. McCarville added to her list of Minnesota firsts Wednesday as the 6-foot-2-inch center became the first Gopher ever selected as a finalist for the Wooden Award.

McCarville joined LSU junior Seimone Augustus, Duke junior Monqiue Curry, Ohio State sophomore Jessica Davenport and Kansas State senior Kendra Wecker.

The five finalists make up the 2005 Wooden Award All-American Team.

“It’s a great honor to be named one of the top five players in the country,” McCarville said. “To even have my name mentioned with the Wooden Award, considering what John Wooden has meant to the game, is very special.”

McCarville is a two-time All-American and earned All-Big Ten honors each year of her Minnesota career.

“Having Janel as a finalist for the Wooden Award is a well-deserved honor for her, as well as another milestone of our Minnesota program,” Gophers coach Pam Borton said. “The Wooden Award celebrates the type of athlete we all look to recruit to our programs.”

McCarville finished her Minnesota career as the only Gopher to be listed in the top five in the major career statistical categories of points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. She scored 1,835 career points to finish fifth in school history. Her 1,217 career rebounds is second in both Minnesota and Big Ten history.

The Wooden Award will be presented April 9, during a live nationally broadcast special on CBS.