INDIANAPOLIS - NCAA Division I women’s basketball has announced the formation of an NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete Engagement Group that will serve as an amplifying voice for women’s basketball on key initiatives, legislation and various issues.

The group, which was formed in collaboration with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), is the first of its kind at the NCAA and will have a direct connection to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and will also serve as a conduit of information from and to the WBCA.

The group consists of current NCAA Division I women’s basketball student-athletes from all 32 conferences who were nominated through the WBCA NCAA Division I Conference Captains program that includes a head coach or “captain” in each conference with whom the WBCA communicates regularly on important issues. Each captain submitted the name of a player from their team or conference who they believed would be a good representative for all women’s basketball players in their conference. The term of service for each student-athlete will coincide with athletics eligibility for competition. In addition, the two women’s basketball student-athlete representatives who serve on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee, Zipporah (Zippy) Broughton of Rutgers and Liz Wood of Chattanooga, will also serve as ex officio members. The group will meet monthly via teleconference/videoconference.

UNCG senior A'ja Boyd was chosen as the representative from the Southern Conference. Boyd is one of the leaders for the Spartan program entering the 2020-21 season. 
 
Last season in helping the Spartans win the 2020 SoCon regular-season championship, Boyd led UNCG with a team-best .557 shooting percentage, which was third in the conference. For the season, Boyd averaged 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest, with the latter ranking seventh in the SoCon. She was fifth in the conference in both offensive boards (2.3) and blocked shots (1.3). Boyd enters the 2020-21 season ninth all-time in program history with 66 blocked shots.
 
"Aja is a phenomenal woman, a highly skilled and talented athlete, an outstanding student," UNCG head women's basketball coach Trina Patterson said. "She demands excellence from herself and others, which is one of her many leadership qualities. She cares deeply for her family, her teammates, and our UNCG community.
 
"Not only does she share the responsibility for contributing to our Greensboro community, but she is also committed to making the global community better. I enjoy coaching A'ja and am proud that she is a Spartan."

To read the full release from the NCAA, click here. 

NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Engagement Group — 2020-21 Roster