University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Duo Headlines AP All-America First Team
3/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 30, 2010
NEW YORK, N.Y. - (AP) University of Connecticut women's basketball players Tina Charles and Maya Moore were named unanimously to the Associated Press All-America First Team, which was released on Tuesday afternoon. Kalana Greene also earned honorable mention AP All-American honors.
Charles and Moore are just the fourth set of UConn players to earn a spot together on the First Team. Svetlana Abrosimova and current UConn assistant coach Shea Ralph did it in 2000, Kara Wolters and Jennifer Rizzotti made the top team in 1996, while Moore joined Renee Montgomery on the First Team last season.
This is the third consecutive year that Moore has received the recognition, while it is the first time Charles has made the top team. Last season, Charles earned second team honors.
The UConn duo was joined on the squad by Nebraska's Kelsey Griffin, Virginia's Monica Wright and Ohio State's Jantel Lavender.
Moore is the fourth three-time AP All-American. The others are Tennessee's Chamique Holdsclaw, Duke's Alana Beard and Oklahoma's Courtney Paris.
"To be in that same category is surreal," said Moore, who next season can match Paris as the only four-time All-American. "I definitely looked up to Chamique Holdsclaw and Alana Beard. I remember thinking how great those women were growing up as a little kid watching the Final Fours."
This marks the second straight season the unbeaten Huskies had two first-team All-Americans.
"I think it's even cooler because you get to share it with your teammates," Moore said. "It's always nice to be recognized for the hard work that we do." Moore and Charles have helped UConn to an NCAA-record 75 straight wins, leading Connecticut to its sixth undefeated regular season.
Both received 200 points and were unanimous choices among the 40-member national media panel that votes in the weekly Top 25. Voting was done before the NCAA tournament.
A second team All-American last season, Charles made huge strides this season. The 6-foot-4 center came into her own last year in the NCAA tournament, earning outstanding player honors at the Final Four. This year, she won the Big East player of the year trophy.
"I think that's just the cherry on top to be recognized as one of the best," Charles said. "It just shows that hard work definitely pays off and just everything that coach was trying to teach me definitely paid off."
