University of Connecticut Athletics
Five Huskies Named to John R. Wooden Award Watch List
11/9/2021 1:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Five members of the UConn women's basketball team, including 2021 winner Paige Bueckers, were selected to the 2021-22 John R. Wooden Preseason Top 50 Watch List, as announced Tuesday.
Seniors Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Christyn Williams, sophomores Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards and freshman Azzi Fudd were named to the watch list.
Bueckers made history last season as the first-ever freshman to win the Wooden Award, in addition to the Naismith Trophy, AP Player of the Year and Nancy Lieberman Award. She is the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year and a Preseason AP All-American. Bueckers is also on the watch list for the Nancy Lieberman Award and Naismith Trophy.
Nelson-Ododa led UConn with 7.8 rebounds per game last season while also averaging 12.0 points per game. She was named the 2021 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year and was an All-BIG EAST Second Team selection. Nelson-Ododa was named Preseason All-BIG EAST, to the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List and to the Naismith Trophy Watch List.
Williams averaged 16.3 points per game last season while helping the Huskies to their 13th straight NCAA Final Four. She was named to the NCAA Tournament River Walk All-Region team and BIG EAST All-Tournament team and was an All- BIG EAST First Team selection. Williams was a Preseason All-BIG EAST selection, to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List and to the Naismith Trophy Watch List.
Edwards averaged 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman. She was named the 2021 BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year. Edwards was the youngest member of the Canadian National Team that competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer. She was named Preseason All-BIG EAST and is featured on the Katrina McClain Award Watch List.
Fudd comes to Storrs as the No. 1-ranked recruit in her class. She was named the 2021 Morgan Wooten High School Basketball Player of the Year and was the first-ever sophomore to be named Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2019. Fudd was also a 2021 McDonald's All-American. She was named the Preseason BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List and the Naismith Trophy Watch List.
The entire John R. Wooden Award Watch List can be found HERE.
