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Blanca Millan Makes History to Highlight 2020-21

By World Exposure Report News Services, 02/26/21, 4:00PM CST

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BOSTON – Blanca Millan continues to make history as the Maine guard became the first America East women’s basketball player to earn multiple Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors Friday morning as the conference revealed the 2020-21 award winners. All of the conference’s 2020-21 major awards were announced along with the All-Conference, All-Defensive, All-Rookie and All-Academic teams. Award winners were determined in a vote by the league’s head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.
 
Full Awards Listing
 
Millan was one of four major award recipients along with Stony Brook’s McKenzie Bushee who received the Sixth Player of the Year accolade. Vermont freshman Anna Olson collected Rookie of the Year honors while Maine Head Coach Amy Vachon was named Coach of the Year.
 
Player of the Year
Blanca Millan, Sr., Guard, Maine

  • Second Player of the Year honor.
  • Leads league in scoring (21.7 ppg) and steals (2.9 spg).
  • Ranks 13th on the league’s all-time scoring list.
  • Collected the third-most Player of the Week honors in women’s #AEHoops history.
  • Became the ninth multi-time Player of the Year recipient.

 
Defensive Player of the Year
Blanca Millan, Sr., Guard, Maine

  • First female student-athlete in #AEHoops history to win both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year multiple times.
  • Leads the league and ranks 18th nationally with 2.9 steals per game.
  • Averaging career-high 7.4 rebounds, which ranks third in the conference.
  • Led a top-ten defense in the country.
  • Named to the All-Defensive Team for the third time.

 
Sixth Player of the Year
McKenzie Bushee, Sr., Forward, Stony Brook

  • Came off the bench in 16 games for the Seawolves.
  • Shooting a team-high 53 percent.
  • Averages 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per game.
  • Second consecutive Seawolf and second overall to be named Sixth Player of the Year.

 
Rookie of the Year
Anna Olson, Fr., Forward, Vermont

  • Started every game for Vermont in first collegiate season.
  • Averaged 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
  • Shot 51 percent.
  • Became the third women’s player in league history to be named Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week in the same week.
  • Also named to the All-Conference Third Team.

 
Coach of the Year
Amy Vachon, Maine – 4th Season

  • Named Coach of the Year for the third time in four full seasons as head coach.
  • Guided Maine to 17th regular season title and top seed in #AEPlayoffs.
  • Maine completed the regular season with a 16-2 overall record and 13-2 conference record, including 11 true road wins.
  • Fifth coach to win the award three times and first since UAlbany’s Katie Abrahamson-Henderson from 2011-2014.

 
The All-Conference teams are composed of five seniors, four juniors, four sophomores, one graduate student and one freshman. 10 of the 15 honorees play on a top-four team in the standings.
 
2020-21 America East Women’s Basketball Awards
First Team All-Conference
Denai Bowman, So., G, Binghamton
Blanca Millan, Sr., G, Maine
Dor Saar, Sr., G, Maine
Anne Simon, So., G, Maine
Denise Solis, So., F, UMass Lowell
 
Second Team All-Conference
Maeve Carroll, Jr., F, Maine
Asiah Dingle, Jr., G, Stony Brook
Kharis Idom, Jr., G, UMass Lowell
India Pagan, Sr., F, Stony Brook
Amanda Torres, Sr., G, New Hampshire
 
Third Team All-Conference
Juliet Esadah, Gr., F, UMBC
Ivy Gogolin, Jr., F, New Hampshire
Helene Haegerstrand, So., F, UAlbany
Anna Olson, Fr., F, Vermont
Anastasia Warren, Jr., G, Stony Brook
 
All-Defensive Team
Denai Bowman, So., G, Binghamton
Blanca Millan, Sr., G, Maine
Denise Solis, So., F, UMass Lowell
Amanda Torres, Sr., G, New Hampshire
Hailey Zeise, Gr., G/F, Stony Brook
 
All-Rookie Team
Kayla Cooper, Fr., G, UAlbany
Adara Groman, Fr., G, New Hampshire
Lyzi Litwinko, Fr., G, NJIT
Alexia Nelson, Fr., G, UMBC
Anna Olson, Fr., F, Vermont
 
All-Academic Team
Kelly Fogarty, Sr., 3.94, Maine
Ivy Gogolin, Jr., 3.95, New Hampshire
Fanny Wadling, Sr., 3.94, Maine
Kaylee Wasco, Gr., 4.00, Binghamton
Hailey Zeise, Gr., 3.93, Stony Brook
 
A handful of award winners will be in action on Sunday for the Hercules Tires #AEPlayoffs quarterfinals. Complete tournament information can be found at Playoffs Central.
 
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field. 

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