2006-07: Neal became the first Aggie to earn All-WAC honors in 2006-07, as she was selected to the second team along with being named to the conferences all-defensive team. She was also selected to the 2007 WAC All-Tournament Team after helping guide the Aggies to their second straight championship game appearance by averaging 15 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, 2.3 blocks and 2 steals in the three tournament games. On Jan. 1, Neal was named the WAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week and was honored once again on March 4, following the final week of the regular season when she scored an average of 15 points and averaged 11.5 rebounds in two games. Neal had 20 double-doubles on the year, the most in the WAC. Starting all 31 games for the Aggies, Neal led the WAC with 10.8 rebounds per game. That mark was good for 12th-best in all of Division I. Her 132 offensive rebounds was 23 more than any other player in the conference. She scored 15.1 points per game, which lead the team and was the second highest point per game tally in the conference. She scored in double figures in all but two games on the year. Neal also led the team in field goal percentage (.443 percent) and steals (67). Her 44 blocked shots in 2006-07 were the most in the conference and it gave her 94 for her career, which is the fourth most blocked shots in a career by any Aggie. She played the eighth most minutes (1009) of any player in the conference as a junior. Neal had a career night on Feb. 22 setting career-highs in points (28) and rebounds (18). Her seven steals against Hawai’i on Jan. 4 is the most she’s had in a single game and she had three games with four blocks, also a career-best. A good student in the classroom, Neal was named to the 2006-07 Academic All-WAC Team.
2005-06: Neal played in all 30 games as a sophomore, starting 12 and coming off the bench in the other 18, averaging 8.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. She led the Aggies in blocks (21) and steals (46) for the second consecutive year. In the WAC semifinal win over Boise State on March 10, Neal helped key the defensive effort with 13 rebounds, tying her season-high. She also led the Aggies to a win over those Broncos at the Pan American Center on January 7 by recording 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. That was the first conference win for NMSU as a member of the WAC. At Utah State on February 2, Neal had 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals as the Aggies won 55-48. She picked up a double-double at home against Nevada on February 11 with 12 points and 10 rebounds. A strong student, Neal was named to the WAC All-Academic Team.
2004-05: Neal made a huge contribution to the Aggies as a freshman, playing in all 28 games and making 15 starts. She averaged 8.6 points per game, good for third on the team and second among returnees, along with a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game (193 overall) and a Sun Belt-leading 103 offensive boards. Neal’s team-high 29 blocked shots were the most by an Aggie since Ivana Stojkovic had 33 in 2000-01 and she also led the squad in steals with 45. Her rebounding average and blocks total ranked her 10th in the Sun Belt in each category. Neal was New Mexico State’s high scorer four times and its leading rebounder in 13 games in 2004-05. In the home finale against Arkansas-Little Rock on Feb. 26, Neal tallied a career-high 26 points to go along with six rebounds, two blocks and a steal to help pace the Aggies to a 70-60 win over the Trojans. Other top performances for Neal in her freshman season included a 16-point, 15-rebound, three-steal effort against North Texas on Jan. 8, 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in a 73-60 win over New Orleans on Jan. 15, 19 points, six rebounds, three steals and three blocks against Western Kentucky on Jan. 27, 12 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and an assist against Sacramento State on New Year’s Eve, and 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals against Arkansas State on Feb. 24.
High School: Neal, a 6-0 forward out of Alhambra High School in Phoenix, Ariz., joined fellow Phoenix native and former summer league teammate Bribiescas in an Aggie uniform. At Alhambra John Trujillo coached Neal. During the 2003-04 season, Neal averaged a double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 boards per game, leading AHS to the Arizona State Semifinals with a 28-4 record. She recorded five 30-plus point games en route to earning “Arizona Fabulous Five” honors as one of the top-five players in the state.
Personal: Sherell Neal was born June 14, 1986, in Phoenix, Ariz., and is the daughter of Debra and Stanley Neal, Sr. She plans on pursuing a degree in Arts and Sciences.
