Bueckers Sweeps BIG EAST Player, Freshman of the Year Honors

UConn rookie guard Paige Bueckers becomes just the second player in league history to win both awards in the same season.

NEW YORK – UConn rookie guard Paige Bueckers swept BIG EAST Player and Freshman of the Year honors as the Conference announced its annual women’s basketball regular-season awards on Thursday. Bueckers becomes just the second player in league history to claim both accolades in the same season following fellow Husky Maya Moore, who did so in 2007-08.  UConn’s Geno Auriemma was voted BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the 11th time. Major awards and All-BIG EAST Teams were selected by a vote of the league’s head coaches who were not allowed to vote for themselves or their own players.

A seven-time BIG EAST Freshman of the Week, two-time BIG EAST Player of the Week and five-time USBWA national weekly award winner, Bueckers enters the postseason averaging 19.8 points, a BIG EAST-best 6.2 assists and 2.4 steals per contest. On the national level, her assists average ranks ninth among all Division I players, while her scoring clip is second-best among freshmen. The rookie boasts the nation’s fifth-best three-point shooting average (.476) and has scored 30 or more points three times, and 20 or more points 10 times. Over 17 BIG EAST contests, Bueckers averaged 19.5 points (ranked second), 6.6 assists (first), and 2.1 steals (fourth). She is the only player in the BIG EAST to rank in the top four in all three of those categories. Bueckers becomes the 18th Husky to garner BIG EAST Player of the Year honors and 13th to claim Freshman of the Year recognition. She was unanimously selected as Freshman of the Year.

Back in the BIG EAST for the first time since 2012-13, Auriemma led the Huskies to their 20th regular-season title in league history. The Huskies went undefeated (18-0) for the 10th time in the BIG EAST and third time doing so with an 18-0 record. UConn won all 18 BIG EAST games by double figures, averaging nearly 85 points per game while limiting its opponents to under 51. Ranked No. 1 in both national polls for a third consecutive week, the Huskies enter the postseason as winners of 11 straight. They rank in the top 10 nationally in 13 statistical categories, including No. 2 in field goal percentage (.515) and scoring margin (30.6). Auriemma earned win No. 1,099 on Jan. 19 to move past the late legendary Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt on the all-time wins list, and currently has 1,112 to rank second on the Division I ledger.

BIG EAST Player of the Year
Paige Bueckers, UConn, Fr., G

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Paige Bueckers, UConn, Fr., G*

BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Geno Auriemma, UConn

BIG EAST Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn, Jr., F
Selena Lott, Marquette, Sr., G

BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall, So., G

BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn, Fr., F

BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Lauren Van Kleunen, Marquette, R-Sr., F

BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year^
Lexi Held, DePaul, Jr., G

All-BIG EAST First Team
Paige Bueckers, UConn, Fr., G*
Christyn Williams, UConn, Jr., G*
Lexi Held, DePaul, Jr., G
Sonya Morris, DePaul, Jr., G*
Selena Lott, Marquette, Sr., G*
Leilani Correa, St. John’s, So., G
Desiree Elmore, Seton Hall, Sr., G/F
Andra Espinoza-Hunter, Seton Hall, Grad., G
Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall, So., G
Madison Siegrist, Villanova, So., F*

All-BIG EAST Second Team
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn, Jr., F
Temi Carda, Creighton, Sr., G
Lauren Van Kleunen, Marquette, R-Sr., F
Mary Baskerville, Providence, Jr., F
Brianna Herlihy, Villanova, Sr., F

All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Dee Bekelja, DePaul, Sr., G
Camryn Taylor, Marquette, So., F

BIG EAST All-Freshman Team
Paige Bueckers, UConn, Fr., G*
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn, Fr., F*
Emma Ronsiek, Creighton, Fr., F
Darrione Rogers, DePaul, Fr., G
Kelsey Ransom, Georgetown, Fr., G

*unanimous selection

^announced 3/3 – selected by the BIG EAST Academic Awards Selection Committee