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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
has chosen the recipients of its 2008-09 women's postseason honors.
For the third time, Connecticut has swept the association's player
and coach the year awards. Sophomore Maya Moore, the 2008
USBWA Freshman of the Year, is the 2009 USBWA National Player
of the Year, while coach Geno Auriemma has captured USBWA
National Coach of the Year honors for the second straight
season and fourth time overall. Eight other times, the player and
coach of the year have come from the same school.
| DOUBLE DOSE |
PLAYER AND COACH OF
THE YEAR, SAME SEASON
1990: Jennifer Azzi/Tara VanDerveer, Stanford
1991: Dawn Staley/Debbie Ryan, Virginia
1995: Rebecca Lobo/Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
1998: Chamique Holdsclaw/Pat Summitt, Tennessee
2001: Ruth Riley/Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame
2003: Diana Taurasi/Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
2005: Seimone Augustus/Pokey Chatman, LSU
2006: Ivory Latta/Sylvia Hatchell, North Carolina
2009: Maya Moore/Geno Auriemma, Connecticut |
Moore, who has set UConn's single-season scoring record, leads
the Huskies into the Final Four with a perfect 37-0 record. Auriemma,
in pursuit of a sixth national title, has been named the USBWA Coach
of the Year in 1995, 2003 and '08. No other coach has won it more
than once since the award was created in 1990. This will be his
tenth appearance in the national semifinals.
Oklahoma's Courtney Paris is the first player – man or
woman – to be named to a USBWA All-America Team four times. The
senior center was the association's freshman of the year in 2005-06.
Twelve other women's players have earned three-time honors.
Also returning the the USBWA All-America Team are Louisville's
Angel McCoughtry and Maryland's Kristi Toliver. McCoughty
has led Louisville to its first Final Four and did so by helping
the Cardinals defeat Toliver's Lady Terps.
There are seven first-time selections this season. Stanford's
Jayne Appel will also be on display in St. Louis, having
led
the Cardinal back to the Final Four. Joining her on the team are
Chante Black (Duke), DeWanna Bonner (Auburn), Marissa
Coleman (Maryland), Jantel Lavender (Ohio State),
Renee Montgomery (Connecticut) and Ashley Walker (California).
The 2008-09 USBWA Women's All-America Team features 11 players,
due to a tie in the voting.
Tennessee's Shekinna Stricklen is the seventh winner of
the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and the first from her school.
The Lady Vols, however, did not have anyone chosen to the All-America
team for just the second time since the USBWA started honoring women's
All-Americans in the 1996-97 season.
Following is the complete list of 2008-09 USBWA women's honors:
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2008-09 USBWA WOMEN'S ALL-AMERICA TEAM |
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| Jayne Appel,
Stanford |
F/C |
6-4 |
Jr. |
Pleasant Hill,
Calif. |
| Chante Black,
Duke |
C |
6-5 |
Sr. |
Winston-Salem,
N.C. |
| DeWanna Bonner,
Auburn |
G |
6-4 |
Sr. |
Fairfield, Ala. |
| Marissa Coleman,
Maryland |
G/F |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Cheltenham, Md. |
| Jantel Lavender,
Ohio State |
C |
6-4 |
So. |
Cleveland, Ohio |
| Angel McCoughtry,
Louisville |
F |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Baltimore, Md. |
| Renee Montgomery,
Connecticut |
G |
5-7 |
Sr. |
St. Albans, W.
Va. |
| Maya Moore,
Connecticut |
F |
6-0 |
So. |
Lawrenceville,
Ga. |
| Courtney Paris,
Oklahoma |
C |
6-4 |
Sr. |
Piedmont, Calif. |
| Kristi Toliver,
Maryland |
G |
5-7 |
Sr. |
Harrisonburg,
Va. |
| Ashley Walker,
California |
F/C |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Modesto, Calif. |
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Player of the Year: Maya Moore, Connecticut |
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Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut |
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Freshman of the Year: Shekinna Stricklen,
Tennessee |
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The U.S. Basketball Writers Association, formed in 1956,
has named a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season. The
association has also named a national player of the year since 1987-88
and a national coach of the year since 1989-90. In 2002-03, the
USBWA initiated an award for the nation's top freshman. For more
information about the USBWA and its annual awards, contact Executive
Director Joe Mitch in the Missouri Valley Conference office at 314-421-0339.
Related link:
• All-Time USBWA women's
honors
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