Editor’s note: In accordance with Women’s History Month, The University Star recognizes the following team as some of the most important and impactful women in sports on campus. Texas State Athletics did not have headshots of several of the women named in this article following the 2003-2004 campaign
Texas State women’s basketball has been around for over 50 years, giving fans and students the chance to see hundreds of talented student-athletes don the maroon and gold. As the 2018-19 season comes to a close, another chapter of Bobcat basketball begins for more potential all-time stars to begin their career.
The All-Time Texas State women’s basketball team features the best women ever to suit up for the Bobcats over the past 53 seasons.
Point Guard- Shelly Borton (1987-90)
4x Most Outstanding Player
2x 1st Team Southland Conference
All-Time Leader in Steals: 332
All-Time Leader in Assists: 595
3rd All-Time in Scoring: 1,893
There is no better way to start the list and create the team than Shelly Borton, whose contribution to Texas State athletics cannot be understated. Borton is the team’s leader in steal and assists, making her the perfect point guard for the All-Time team. Borton’s also a unique member of the list because of her ability to score, and she’s the only player to make the top three in points, assists and steals.
Shooting Guard- Diamond Ford (2009-13)
3x Most Outstanding Player
1st team Southland Conference
1st team Western Athletic Conference 
2nd All-Time in Scoring: 1, 906
3rd All-Time in 3-Pointers Made: 178
Diamond Ford’s recent success at Texas State makes her one of the two starters on the list to have played at the university after the name change. Ford’s decorated career puts her third in “Most Outstanding Player” awards in Texas State history. She also had two top-five three-point shooting seasons by the time of her graduation. Ford’s ability to score from the perimeter makes her a great backcourt partner for Borton.
Small Forward- Tori Talbert (2001-05)
4x Most Outstanding Player
2x Southland Conference Player of the Year (’03, ’05)
3x All-Southland Conference First Team (’02,’03,’05)
4th All-Time in Scoring: 1,870
1st All-Time in Rebounding: 1,147
8th All-Time in Blocked Shots: 57
Most Made Free Throws: 503
Talbert was only the second player to win four “Most Outstanding Player” awards as well as the second player to finish her career top five in scoring and rebounding. Her ability to defend multiple positions makes her valuable in any decade of Texas State basketball. Talbert is also the all-time leader in free throws made, outshooting second place (Ford) by over 100 makes.

Power Forward- Linda Muelker (1982-85)
3x Most Outstanding Player
All-Time Leader in Points: 1,993
2nd All-Time in Rebounds: 1,005
There is no chance that Linda Muelker would not be playing in the starting five. While a tad undersized by modern standards, Muelker’s ability to score and rebound made her one of the most valuable players of the 1980s. Muelker is in the same conversation as Borton to lay claim to the greatest women’s basketball player.
Center- Brenda Yanowski (1977-79)
4th and 6th best rebounding seasons in TXST History: ’79 (290), ’78 (271)
To round out the starting five, Brenda Yanowski is set to hold down the paint. Having two of the best rebounding seasons in Texas State history, the only player to have two top ten rebounding seasons is Talbert. While Yanowski couldn’t score the ball as well as some as the other players on this list, the fact remains that she was one of the cornerstone players for the late 1970s teams.

The Bench:
Guard- Taeler Deer (2014-18)
2018 Sun Belt Player of the Year
SBC Tournament Most Outstanding Player
1st Team SBC 2018
2nd All-Time in Assists: 429
4th All-Time in Steals: 187
9th All-Time in Points: 1,386
Although on the bench, the argument to place Deer in the all-time starting five is very valid. Arguably one of the most productive players in the last ten years, Deer’s career ended last season with her ranking in the top ten in three categories and leading Texas State to its best records in program history. It also made her the first Bobcat to win the Sun Belt Player of the Year.

Guard- Toshua Leavitt (2015-19)
2nd Team Sun Belt Conference (2018)
All-Tournament Sun Belt Team (2018)
Most 3-pointers Made in a Career: 254 career 3-pointers made, ranking her first on the all-time player’s list.
Most 3-pointers in a Season: 137 (2018)
9th Highest Scoring Season: 555 (2018)
Since coming to Texas State, Leavitt has been one of the best 3-point-shooters in NCAA Women’s Basketball. With her career not yet over, it would be premature to think that she won’t add more awards after this season comes to a close. Already, Leavitt has set the bar for three-pointers in a season and for a career, making her the ultimate heat check coming off the bench if the game was close.
Guard- Joyce Ekworomadu (2004-08)
2008 Southland Conference Player of the Year
8th All-Time in Points: 1,573
6th in 3-pointers made: 15
Ekworomadu’s career is unique in more ways than one. As a Bobcat, the first-generation Nigerian-American made her mark securing a conference player of the year award while averaging 18.7 ppg. Ekworomadu is also one of the few players in Texas State history to get the chance to play at the next level after she left San Marcos, playing for the Nigerian national team as well as being one of twelve women to get the chance to perform with the Harlem Globetrotters.
Guard- Jackie Benson (1984-86)
Most Outstanding Player (1985)
Winning the Co-Most Outstanding Player in 1985 with Linda Muelker, Benson lead the team in steals in ’85 and assists in ’86. While Benson might be the most accomplished player in Bobcat history, every team needs a glue player who fits the role assigned to them. Benson was the player and she’s great for the All-Time team.
Guard/Foward- Yolanda Wilkerson (1994-97)
Southland Freshman of the Year (1994)
2x All-Southland 1st team
2nd All-Time in Steals: 204
4th All-Time in Rebounds: 910
6th All-Time in Points: 1,692
6th All-Time in Assists: 277
After winning Freshman of the Year, Yolanda Wilkerson’s place in the history books grew to the point that she is the only player on this list in the top ten for points, rebounds, assists and steals. Wilkerson is also one of the few players to have played on an NCAA tournament contending team, being one of the pillars of former Coach Linda Sharp’s Southland Conference Champion team that lost to the University of Texas in the first round.
Forward- Karen Schroder (1980-82)
Lead the team in scoring ‘80-‘81 (15.8)
Lead the team in rebounding in ’80-’81 (12.1) 
Lead the team in rebounding in ’81-’82 (11.6)
Similar to Jackie Benson, Karen Schroder doesn’t have the individual awards that many of the players might have. However, she was the key player for the underperforming teams of the early 1980s. Schroder is another player you would want on your bench, however, due to her ability to rebound and hustle. (Proving once again my ability to look past the box score and put players who might not deserve to make the list, on the list because of old photos I find online of them diving for loose balls.)
Forward- Kiesha Burchette (1995-97)
Lead the team in blocks ’95-’96 (27)
Lead the team in block ’96-’97 (19)
Kiesha Burchette was a defensive force when playing next to Yolanda Wilkerson. Burchette had some of the best defensive seasons as a Bobcat and is another player who is good off the bench for this team.
Forward- Carlotta Fisbeck (1968-71)
Single Season PPG Leader, 1970 (22.6)
Single Game Points Scored, 1970 (47)
5th All Time In Points: 1,705
Going way back, Carlotta Fisbeck is the player who reaches back the furthest in the Bobcat history books. Fisbeck has the highest single-season points per game for a season and was the original scoring champion. Her single-game scoring record is still in the books and she was the first really great player in Texas State history.
While Bobcat women’s basketball has had its ups and downs as a program, Texas State has seen some illustrious members come from its ranks. Since its start over 50 years ago, these female athletes have contributed to not only the university’s record books but also made a mark on its culture.