University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Earn End-of-Season American Awards
3/6/2020 9:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Junior Megan Walker was selected as the 2020 American Athletic Conference 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 16 league coach of the year honors in his career.
Walker is joined unanimously on the first team by senior Crystal Dangerfield. Sophomore Christyn Williams was also named to the first team.
Sophomore Olivia Nelson-Ododa earned second team honors. Freshman Anna Makurat was unanimously named to the All-Freshman Team.
Walker leads UConn with 19.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. She is shooting 45.1 percent from three-point range. Walker has nine double-doubles on the season and has scored 20 or more points in 16 games this year.
Dangerfield is second on the team with 14.8 points per game. She leads the Huskies with 4.2 assists per game and 52 steals. In conference play, Dangerfield is averaging 4.7 assists per game.
Williams is averaging 14.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She has scored in double digits in 22 games this season.
Nelson-Ododa is averaging 11.0 point and 8.5 rebounds per game. She ranks seventh nationally with 3.14 blocks per game and fifth with 91 total blocks. Nelson-Ododa has the most blocks in a season since Breanna Stewart notched 126 as a senior in 2015-16.
Makurat is averaging 7.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting 40.6 percent from three. In conference play, she is averaging 10.4 points and shooting 47.2 percent from three.
This is the seventh straight year and 24th time UConn has had the conference Player of the Year.
The Huskies are the top seed in the 2020 American Athletic Conference Tournament. UConn will face either No. 8 Temple or No. 9 ECU in the quarterfinals on Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN3 at Mohegan Sun Arena.
2020 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HONORS
Player of the Year
Megan Walker, Jr., F, UConn
Freshman of the Year
Elena Tsineke, Fr., G, USF
Coach of the Year
Geno Auriemma, UConn
Defensive Player of the Year
Lashonda Monk, Jr., G, ECU
Newcomer of the Year
Ashley Jones, R-So., G, Temple
Most Improved Player of the Year
Angel Rizor, Sr., F, Cincinnati
Sixth Player of the Year
Dynah Jones, So., G, Tulane
Ambassador Award
Sierra Cheatham, Jr., G, Tulane
First Team All-Conference
Kay Kay Wright, Sr., G, UCF*
IImar'I Thomas, Jr., F, Cincinnati*
Crystal Dangerfield, Sr., G, UConn*
Megan Walker, Jr., F, UConn*
Christyn Williams, So., G, UConn
Mia Davis, Jr., F, Temple
Second Team All-Conference
Antoinette Miller, Sr., G, Cincinnati
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, So., F, UConn
Lashonda Monk, Jr., G, ECU
Ashley Jones, R-So., G, Temple
Krystal Freeman, Jr., F, Tulane
Third Team All-Conference
Angel Rizor, Sr., F, Cincinnati
Brittney Smith, So., F, UCF
Elisa Pinzan, So., G, USF
Elena Tsineke, Fr., G, USF
Mariah McCully, Jr., G, Wichita State
All-Freshman Team
Anna Makurat, Fr., G, UConn*
Taniyah Thompson, Fr., G, ECU*
Madison Griggs, Fr., G, Memphis*
Elena Tsineke, Fr., G, USF*
Reagan Bradley, Fr., G, SMU
Asonah Alexander, Fr., G, Temple
*denotes unanimous selection
