University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Earn American End-of-Year Honors
3/8/2019 8:50:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STORRS, Conn. – Senior Napheesa Collier was selected as the 2019 American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and headlines four All-Conference selections for the UConn women's basketball team, as announced by the league Friday.
Head coach Geno Auriemma is the conference's Coach of the Year and has earned 15 league coach of the year honors in his career.
Senior Katie Lou Samuelson and junior Crystal Dangerfield join Collier on the All-Conference First Team. Junior Megan Walker was named a third team selection.
Christyn Williams was tabbed the American's Freshman of the Year, UConn's first selection since Kia Nurse in 2015. She was also unanimously named to the All-Freshman Team.
Collier leads UConn with 20. 2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game and is also pacing the team with 43 blocks and 17 double-doubles. She is a three-time All-Conference First Team selection. Collier was named the conference's Player of the Year with Samuelson in 2017.
Samuelson is second on the team with 18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. She leads the team with 75 three pointers. Samuelson has six double-doubles on the season.
Dangerfield paces UConn with 6.2 assists per game and is averaging 7.5 assists per game in conference play. She is third on the team with 13.7 points per game.
Walker has stepped into the starting lineup this season and is averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She has notched four double-doubles this season.
Williams is the first Husky to start in her first career appearance since Breanna Stewart. She is averaging 10.6 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
This is the sixth straight year and 23rd time UConn has had the conference Player of the Year. Collier is UConn's seventh straight Defensive Player of the Year selection and 10th overall. Williams is the Huskies' 14th conference Freshman of the Year.
The 2019 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Championship tips off Friday. The top-seeded Huskies will face either No. 8 ECU or No. 9 SMUÂ in the quarterfinals Saturday at 2 p.m.
2019 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HONORS
Player of the Year
Napheesa Collier, UConn
Freshman of the Year
Christyn Williams, UConn
Defensive Player of the Year
Napheesa Collier, UConn
Newcomer of the Year
Florence Sifa, Cincinnati
Most Improved Player of the Year
Krystal Freeman, Tulane
Ambassador Award
Sierra Cheatham, Tulane
Sixth Player of the Year
Kayla Thigpen, UCF
Coach of the Year
Geno Auriemma, UConn
First Team All-Conference
Kay Kay Wright, UCF
IImar'I Thomas, Cincinnati
Napheesa Collier, UConn*
Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn*
Crystal Dangerfield, UConn
Mia Davis, Temple
Second Team All-Conference
Antoinette Miller, Cincinnati
Dorian Branch, Houston
Enna Pehadzic, USF
Alliya Butts, Temple
Krystal Freeman, Tulane
Third Team All-Conference
Megan Walker, UConn
Lashonda Monk, ECU
Angela Harris, Houston
Alicia Froling, SMU
Crystal Polk, Tulsa
All-Freshman Team
Christyn Williams, UConn*
Jamirah Shutes, Memphis*
Sydni Harvey, USF*
Kayla White, SMU*
Dynah Jones, Tulane
Carla Bremaud, Wichita State*
