UConn women's basketball

Maya Moore was given her second national Player of the Year award today when she was honored by The Associated Press this afternoon. She is the fifth player in team history to win the Wade Trophy, joining Diana Taurasi (2002-03), Sue Bird (2001-02, Jennifer Rizzotti (1995-96) and Rebecca Lobo (1994-95). She is the sixth player in team history to be honored by the AP, joining Taurasi (2002-03), Bird (2001-02), Kara Wolters (1996-97), Rizzotti (1995-96) and Lobo (1994-95).

Geno Auriemma was named the AP Coach of the Year for the sixth time.

Rich

UConn will meet Texas at the ESPNU Road to the Championship on ESPN2 in San Antonio Nov. 17. The game is part of a doubleheader at the AT&T Center to promote next season’s Final Four, which will be held at the Alamodome.
Tennessee will meet Texas Tech in the other game on ESPNU.
The UConn athletic department pushed to have the Huskies’ game televised on either ESPN or ESPN2 – and not ESPNU – and the network complied.
Tickets for the event are now on sale. Ticket prices are $10, $15, $25 and $40, and can be purchased at www.ATTcenter.com, www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling the AT&T Center at (210) 224-9600.

Rich

The Big Three of Maya Moore, Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles have continued to dominate the opposition for the Huskies. They have combined for 59.6 points, 20.6 rebounds and 8.4 assists in 95 minutes in the tournament.
All three of them received their due recognition Saturday when Moore was named the Wade Trophy winner as the national Player of the Year and all three were named to the 10-member State Farm All-America team.
Moore joined former Tennessee All-American Candace Parker as the only sophomore to win the award.
It is the third time that three players from the same team were honored on the State Farm team. The Tennessee trio of Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings and Semeka Randall were honored in 1999. UConn’s trio of Sue Bird, Swin Cash and Diana Taurasi were honored in 2002.
The Big Three is accounting for 67.9 percent of UConn’s offense and is shooting 57.1 percent from the field (45.3 from 3-point range). Moore, Montgomery and Charles combined for 64 points in the first round against Vermont March 22, 69 in the second round against Florida March 24 and 65 against Arizona State.
“We’ve been depending on them all season and they never let us down,’’ senior Kalana Greene said. “We just take off their lead. I think you can play 3-on-5 with those guys sometimes. They just do amazing things. But this is Renee’s last go-around and she’s not letting it slip through her hands any more. You can tell. It’s on her mind. She’s got a goal and a focus and she’s going at it hard.’’

Rich

Maya Moore, who was named the USBWA Player of the Year Wednesday, is expected to pick up more hardware this weekend in St. Louis. The Wade Trophy will be presented tomorrow morning, along with the announcement of the State Farm All-American team. The Associated Press Player of the Year award will be presented tomorrow afternoon.
Tuesday night, hours after being named an AP first-team All-American for the second straight season, Moore was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Trenton Regional. She is averaging 20.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 34 minutes in the tournament to lad the Huskies back to the Final Four for the second straight season.
Moore finished with a game-high 25 points and nine rebounds in an 83-64 victory over Arizona State in the regional final.
“It’s great,’’ Moore said. “I feel like that’s one of my roles is to come in, score points, contribute, just be all over the place and getting rebounds or do whatever I need to do. And (Tuesday) I did most of that. So as long as I’m coming in and fulfilling my role and my teammates are filling the rest, it just feels good.’’
Moore is the third player in team history to receive the honor in back-to-back seasons, joining Diana Taurasi (2003, 2004) and Jennifer Rizzotti (1995, 1996). Taurasi also won the award in 2001 as a freshman.

Geno Auriemma had a quick heart-to-heart talk with Tina Charles as she came off the floor Tuesday night at Sovereign Bank Arena. Here’s what Auriemma said to her:
“I told her that basically, `Last year you went out there under different circumstances than this year. There’s something waiting for you out there that you’ve always wanted and I’m happy you’re getting
a chance to go get it,’’’ he said.
Good stuff.

Rich

Renee Montgomery was named the winner of the Nancy Lieberman Award as the nation’s top point guard today. Diana Taurasi (2002-03, 2003-04) and Sue Bird (1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02) also won the award for the Huskies.

Here’s the release:

The Rotary Club of Detroit announced today that Connecticut senior Renee Montgomery has been selected as the 2009 Nancy Lieberman Award winner. The award recognizes the nation’s top collegiate point guard in women’s Division I basketball. The criteria for the award are the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skills that personified Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman during her career. Sportswriters from across the country determined the award winner and finalists.

The three finalists (in alphabetical order) are: Kristi Cirone (Illinois St.), Danielle Robinson (Oklahoma), and Kristi Toliver (Maryland).

Montgomery, the 5-7 point guard, has helped guide Connecticut (37-0) to the NCAA Women’s Final Four tournament for their second consecutive season and 10th time in the program’s history. She has been named to the Associated Press All-American First Team and is the recipient of the 2009 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award and BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award. She is one of only three players in Connecticut history to tally 1,500 points and 500 assists in a career and is the only player in program history to rank in the top-10 in points (1,946), assists (622), steals (260) and three-pointers (249).

During her storied career at Connecticut, Montgomery has been integral in leading the team to a 137-11 record that includes two trips to the NCAA Women’s Final Four, four NCAA Regionals, four BIG EAST regular season titles and three BIG EAST Tournament crowns. She has also registered 146 career starts, 138 of which have been consecutive – the most by any player in UConn program history and the most nationally.

“Renee Montgomery is one of the best, hardest working, and smartest leaders that I have seen in the game. It is an absolute pleasure for me to add her to the list of great UConn point guards who have won the award. She is on to something very special this year with Connecticut being undefeated. The award couldn’t go to a finer player,” said Nancy Lieberman.

Maya Moore and Renee Montgomery were named to the Wooden All-America team today. It marks the first time that two players from the same team were selected.
They were joined by Lousiville senior Angel McCoughtry, Maryland senior Kristi Toliver and Oklahoma senior Courtney Paris.
All five players were honored by The Associated Press Tuesday.

Rich

To no surprise, Renee Montgomery is one of 15 players that have been invited to attend the WNBA Draft April 9 at the NBA Entertainment studios in Secaucus, N.J. The list of invitees also includes Chante Black (Duke), DeWanna Bonner (Auburn), Marissa Coleman (Maryland), Briann January (Arizona State), Lyndra Littles (Virginia), Rashanda McCants (North Carolina), Angel McCoughtry (Louisville), Courtney and Ashley Paris (Oklahoma), Kristi Toliver (Maryland), Kia Vaughn (Rutgers), Ashley Walker (California), Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton (Purdue) and Shavonte Zellous (Pittsburgh).
ESPN2 will broadcast the first round live at 3 p.m. ESPNU and NBA TV will broadcast the second and third rounds.

Fans will have the opportunity to meet with the players in New York City April 8. They will be at the NBA Store (666 5th Ave) from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and at ESPN Zone-Times Square from 7 to 9 p.m.

Rich

UConn-bound guard Kelly Faris was a starter for the East team Wednesday in the McDonald’s All-American Game. She finished with numbers that typify her all-around skill set and her unselfish style.
Faris, who is 5-11, had four points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in 15 minutes. She did miss a free throw with one second left in a 69-68 loss to the West at the BankUnited Center on the campus of the University of Miami.
But shoving the loss aside, Faris thoroughly enjoyed her experience.
“Well, unfortunately, we lost,’’ she said. “But it was an experience of a lifetime. I have had so much fun. We were able to go to the Ronald McDonald House and visit the kids and their families. That was the whole point of us being here to give back to the Ronald McDonald House. It is always
nice to put a smile on a little kid’s face and make their day that much better by just doing the little things. So that in itself was really fun. We got to go swim with dolphins, and we had a blast. Just the
entire experience was a once and a lifetime opportunity that not many get to have. I am very thankful for having the chance to be a part of this event. In all, it is something that I will never forget and am walking away with a lot of memories.’’

Rich