Their pursuit of history as a team is still in progress. Prior to facing sixth-seeded Arizona State in the NCAA regional final tonight, senior Renee Montgomery and sophomore Maya Moore made history on their own.
Montgomery and Moore were named first-team All-Americans by The Associated Press. It is the first time the Huskies have had two players on the first team since current assistant coach Shea Ralph and Svetlana Abrosimova were honored in 1999-00 and it’s the fourth time overall.
“It just makes me appreciate all the things I’ve done in the past, all the things Coach has pushed me to do,’’ Montgomery said. “Sometimes when I would be so frustrated and thinking I’m making a little bit of progress and then he tells me it’s terrible. He’s just preparing me because he knew my potential. And I think that makes you look back on all the things that you’ve done as far as hard work and sacrifices you made.’’
Montgomery, who was a third-team pick last season, and Moore were joined on the team by Louisville senior Angel McCoughtry, Oklahoma senior Courtney Paris, who is the first four-time selection in the history of the team, and Maryland senior Kristi Toliver.
UConn junior Tina Charles was named to the second team.
Moore, the only unanimous pick on the first team, is the first member of the Huskies to be named to the first team in consecutive seasons since Diana Taurasi in 2002-03 and 2003-04 and she is the fourth two-time selection in team history joining Taurasi, Nykesha Sales and Kara Wolters. Only Moore and Paris have earned first-team honors in the first two years of their career.
