University of Connecticut Athletics
Stokes Named as One of Six Finalists for 2015 WBCA Defensive Player of the Year Award
4/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA --Â As the Huskies prepare for their eighth-straight trip to the Final Four, University of Connecticut women's basketball senior center Kiah Stokes (Marion, Iowa) was named as one of six finalists for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Defensive Player of the Year, as announced by the organization on Wednesday.
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Selected as the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in early March, Stokes has put together her finest season in a Husky uniform in 2014-15. The center has established a new single-season program record with 145 blocks and also ranks second on the UConn squad with 257 total rebounds in just 18.6 minutes per game.
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Earlier this season, Stokes became the fourth member of the Huskies' 300-block club and currently stands at No. 3 in the record books with 323 rejections. She has been a crucial part of the Connecticut defense, which has held opponents to the fewest points per game (48.2) in the nation.
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The Defensive Player of the Year award honors the best defensive collegiate Division I women's basketball player. All Division I conference defensive players of the year are eligible to be nominated for the award. A selection committee makes the final decision on the winner. If a conference does not select a defensive player of the year, the conference representative can nominate one player to be considered.
"These finalists played an incredibly valuable role for their respective teams on the defensive end of the floor this season. Defense is about effort, intensity, determination, and teamwork. Each of these remarkable student-athletes has embodied these characteristics at the highest level," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "They have all been consistent defensive forces for their respective teams, and have caused nightmares for opposing coaches and players. We celebrate each finalist and appreciate their contributions to their team as well as to the game."
Other candidates include Syessence Davis (Rutgers), Jordan Jones (Texas A&M), Kendall Noble (Western Kentucky), Daisha Simmons (Seton Hall), and Elizabeth Williams (Duke).
The winner will be announced during the Fifth Annual WBCA Awards Show, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. ET Monday, April 6, in Tampa Bay. This event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four.
UConn is set to meet Maryland in the second of two National Semifinal contests scheduled for Sunday, April 5 at 9 p.m. ET in Tampa, Fla.
