AMHERST, N.Y. — After finishing the season as one of the top scorers in college basketball, Buffalo guard Chellia Watson is earning national recognition.
Watson was named an All-American honorable mention on Friday by the Women's Basketball Coaches' Assocation (WBCA). The redshirt senior becomes just the fifth player in program history to pick up postseason All-American recognition, joining Tiffany Bell (2000-01) , Kourtney Brown (2011), Cierra Dillard (2019), and Dyaisha Fair (2022).
In her first season playing as a Bull, Watson put her name among the top scorers in the country. She finished the season fourth in the nation with 23 points per game, in addition to tallying 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
Watson helped lead the Bulls to a 19-14 overall record, which included a trip to the Mid-American Conference tournament championship game and an appearance in the WNIT.
"I am incredibly proud of Chellia and what she has accomplished this season," head coach Becky Burke said in a release from the university. "This is a huge honor, and she stands with elite company on this prestigious list. Everything that Chellia and I had talked about during her decision to come to Buffalo is coming to life for her, and I could not be happier. I know she is extremely grateful for this recognition and will use this as even more motivation going into our off season and her final year at Buffalo next season."
The transfer from South Carolina-Upstate made history this past season when dropped 47 points against Toledo on January 27th, setting a program and school record for points in a game. Watson also tallied her 1000th career point in that game.
In a conversation with Channel 2 after that record-setting night, Burke said she believes Watson is headed for a historic legacy at Buffalo.
“My opinion might be a hot take, I think she’ll be the best player that ever put on a uniform here," Burke said in February. "We’re looking at the track and pace that she’s on right now, and I think that could potentially be a conversation that we’re having when she’s done here.”