Leedham serving as the female representative of the Northeast-10 Conference

RINDGE, N.H. (February 15, 2013) – Former Franklin Pierce University women’s basketball standout Johannah Leedham (Class of ’10) on Friday was one of 48 former student-athletes from across the nation to be named to the NCAA Division II 40^th Anniversary All-Tribute Team.

In celebration of the 40^th Anniversary of NCAA Division II in 2013, these 48 former student-athletes are set to be honored by the NCAA throughout the upcoming year.The All-Tribute Team was developed through a partnership with the Division II Conference Commissioners Association and highlights one male and one female from each of the division’s 23 current conferences, plus two at-large nominees. Leedham is the female representative for the Northeast-10 Conference.

“This group of former student-athletes is meant to reflect the core values of Division II athletics,” said Josh Looney, associate director of Division II. “Commissioners have helped identify a diverse group of championship individuals from Division II’s 40-year history. Not only did these former student-athletes act as champions in athletics and in the classroom, they’ve gone on to live championship lives as well. This group is a true representation of Division II’s commitment to providing its student-athletes a ‘Life in the Balance’ that extends beyond athletics.”

Leedham starred at Franklin Pierce from 2006-10 and became one of the finest players in all of women's college basketball history across all divisions (I, II  & III). She is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division II women's basketball history with 3,050 points, which is also the fifth highest total across all divisions. Leedham scored 915 points during her senior season (the fourth highest single season total in Division II history) and broke the NCAA Division II career scoring record with a second-half jumper in a win over Bentley in the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Championship semifinals in the Fieldhouse in Rindge. Leedham wasn't just an offensive standout as she also made her mark on the defensive end by ranking seventh in Division II women's basketball history with 459 career steals. She is the only player in Division II women's basketball history to rank among the top-10 in both career scoring and career steals. 

Leedham's on-the-court accomplishments were recognized on the conference, regional and national levels. She was named the State Farm/WBCA Division II National Player of the Year in both the 2008 and 2010 seasons. As a senior in 2009-10, Leedham also garnered the national player-of-the-year award from both Daktronics and Women's Division II Bulletin. Leedham was named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year three-straight years from 2008-10, while earning the league's rookie-of-the-year honor in 2007. She was also named the Daktronics East Region Player of the Year on multiple occasions.

With Leedham accomplishing so much on the court, the Franklin Pierce University women's basketball team put together the finest stretch of success in program history by claiming three-consecutive NCAA Division II East Regional Championships (2008-10) and back-to-back NE-10 championships in 2009 and 2010. The Ravens reached the national championship game in 2009, which was aired live on national television on ESPN 2. Leedham set the NCAA Division II record for most points scored in the national tournament as she logged 149 in leading the Ravens to the finals. The following season in 2010, Franklin Pierce advanced to the Final Four, which was broadcast live on ESPNU. It marked the second time that season the Ravens appeared on national TV as they also picked up a 77-73 regular season win at Bentley on CBS Sports Network. Franklin Pierce began the 2009-10 season with a 23-0 record and earned the No. 1 ranking in the WBCA Division II Top-25 Poll, marking the program's first-ever No. 1 national ranking.

For all of the basketball accomplishments during her senior season, Leedham picked up numerous other awards highlighting her success in the classroom and as a female student-athlete. She earned the 2010 NE-10 Scholar-Athlete Sport Excellence Award for women's basketball and was named an ESPN The Magazine Second-Team Academic All-American. In June of 2010, Leedham was named the NE-10 Woman of the Year. Overall, she was named an NE-10 Academic All-Conference honoree three times.

At the conclusion of her final collegiate season, Leedham was drafted by the Connecticut Sun in the third round of the 2010 WNBA Draft. She has played professionally overseas for the last three years.

Leedham's biggest international accomplishment was representing her home country at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as she starred for Great Britain, which was making its first-ever appearance in the sport of women's basketball in the Olympic games. Leedham averaged a team-best 16.2 points per game, while also posting averages of 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. She also totaled a team-high 12 steals. For her efforts, Leedham was named to EuroBasket.com's All-Olympic Women's Basketball Second-Team, joining the likes of USA's Diana Taurasi and Angel McCoughtry. Leedham has also represented her home country in other international competitions, including the 2009 World University Games where she ranked third in the tournament with an 18.9 points per game average.

By becoming an Olympic star, Leedham has vaulted into one of the most recognizeable and well-liked athletes in her home country. She has become a pioneer for the sport of women's basketball in Great Britain and hopes to parlay that role into continuing to advance the sport on a competitive level on the international scene.

The year-long 40^th Anniversary celebration will feature a number of initiatives branded by Division II’s tradition, history and community influence. Each member of the Division II 40^th Anniversary Tribute Team will receive a commemorative 40^th Anniversary gift and is slated to have his/her accomplishments profiled through Division II media channels.

Conferences were asked to submit a list of nominees representative of Division II’s ideals. The only requirement was that nominees exhausted their athletics eligibility within the past 40 years and attended a college or university active in Division II.

Division II gained its own unique intercollegiate athletics identity when Divisions I, II and III were formalized during a special NCAA Convention held in 1973.  Prior to 1973, the NCAA was organized into two divisions––“University” and “College.”

For more information on Franklin Pierce women’s basketball, please visit the team’s page at athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women’s basketball apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)