W. Basketball Team Earns Academic Honor

The Harvard women's basketball team, one of the most successful Harvard sports programs in the last five years, now has a different kind of accolade to put on its resume--an academic one.

The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Monday its list of top 25 Division I academic teams based on team grade point averages. Harvard placed 18th on the list with a G.P.A. of 3.256.

"I think it's great," captain Laela Sturdy said. "It's a big accomplishment that we can do so well on academics while being so focused on basketball. It shows that we have well-balanced, well-rounded individuals."

Last year, Harvard placed 16th on the list, but had a G.P.A. of 3.191.

Duquesne University topped this year's list with a G.P.A. of 3.492, and St. Louis University placed 25th at 3.206.

Brown, the only other Ivy League school on the list, placed 15th with a G.P.A. of 3.281.

Defending national champion Purdue was 21st on the list at 3.237.

Sturdy joked that the players will make the list their top priority this season.

"We're going to institute study halls," she said.