ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has chosen the recipients of its 2010-11 women's postseason honors. Connecticut's Maya Moore is the National Player of the Year, while Baylor's Kim Mulkey is the National Coach of the Year and Baylor's Odyssey Sims is the National Freshman of the Year. All three selections will be honored at the USBWA Women's Awards Breakfast on Tues., April 5 in Indianapolis.
Moore has led the Huskies to a fourth straight Big East title and a trip to the Final Four, averaging 22.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. She becomes just the third two-time USBWA National Player of the Year (Tennessee's Candace Parker and Chamique Holdsclaw) and only the second player to earn USBWA All-America honors four times (Oklahoma's Courtney Paris). Like Paris, she was also the USBWA National Freshman of the Year (2008) in addition to being the National Player of the Year two seasons ago. Moore's selection as the player of the year marks the sixth time and the third straight season a Connecticut player has earned the honor.
Sims, who led the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage to go with 13.1 points per game, is the second straight Baylor player to earn national freshman of the year honors after Brittney Griner earned that distinction a season ago. Mulkey, who led the Lady Bears to a 34-3 record, the Big 12 championship and the Elite 8, is the second straight national coach of the year from the Big 12, following Nebraska's Connie Yori last season.
Joining Moore on the USBWA All-America Team is Ohio State's Jantel Lavender, the 13th three-time All-American and the second from Ohio State (Jessica Davenport). Lavender, a four-time Big Ten Player of the Year, averaged 22.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game in leading the Buckeyes to the Sweet 16. The other repeat All-America honoree is Stanford's Nnemkadi Ogwumike. Pac-10 Player of the Year Jeannette Pohlen joins her Stanford teammate and on the squad as they ready for the Final Four.
Shekinna Stricklen, the SEC Player of the Year and 2009 USBWA National Freshman of the Year represents Tennessee. While Stanford has a pair of All-America selections, joining traditional powers Connecticut and Tennessee with representation on the team, four schools Gonzaga, Miami, Texas A&M and Xavier · placed players on the team for the first time.
Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot was the West Coast Conference Player of the Year and became the first Division I player with 2,000 career points and 1,000 career assists; Miami's Shenise Johnson was the ACC Player of the Year; Texas A&M's Danielle Adams led the Aggies to their first 30-win season and first Final Four; and Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Amber Harris of Xavier are first-time selections. Last season's National Freshman of the Year, Brittney Griner of Baylor, the Big 12 Player of the Year, rounds out the team as a first-time selection.
Following is the complete list of 2010-11 USBWA women's honors:
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association, formed in 1956, has named a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season. The association has also named a national player of the year since 1987-88 and a national coach of the year since 1989-90. In 2002-03, the USBWA initiated an award for the nation's top freshman. For more information about the USBWA and its award programs, contact Executive Director Joe Mitch in the Missouri Valley Conference office at 314-444-4325.
Related link:
All-time USBWA women's honors