Former UConn star and current ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo is one of 12 Class of 2013 women’s basketball nominees for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, it was announced Monday. North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell, Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw and Baylor coach Kim Mulkey were also nominated.

According to the release, a candidate needs five of seven votes from the North American committee to become a finalist. The finalists will be announced Feb. 15.

Lobo, who was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, is looking to join UConn coach Geno Auriemma in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She is currently ranked seventh all-time in UConn history in scoring (2,133), third in rebounding (1,268) and first in blocks (396). Along with Tina Charles and Maya Moore, she is one of only three players in program history to amass 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Lobo was the consensus National Player of the Year in 1994-95 when she led the Huskies to their first national championship and a 35-0 finish. She was also a two-time State Farm/Kodak All-American (1993-94, 1994-95) and the NCAA Women of the Year (1994-95) at UConn before going on to win a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and helping launch the WNBA in 1997.

Along with fellow Class of 2013 nominee Theresa Weatherspoon, Lobo was assigned to the New York Liberty during the league’s first player allocations Jan. 22, 1997. Lobo spent seven seasons in the WNBA, five with the Liberty (1997-2001) and one season with the Houston Comets (2002) and the Connecticut Sun (2003).

Lobo, who helped lead the Liberty to the 1997 WNBA championship game, was voted to the league’s first-ever Eastern Conference All-Star Team in 1999.

Here is the complete list of the women’s basketball nominees …

Leta Andrews

Jennifer Azzi

Laurie Byrd (First-Time Nominee)

Kathy Delaney-Smith

Sylvia Hatchell

Rebecca Lobo

Muffet McGraw (First-Time Nominee)

Kim Mulkey

Harley Redin

Theresa Shank

Dawn Staley

Theresa Weatherspoon

Rich

Sophomore center Kiah Stokes took another firm step forward today in her attempt to return to action when she participated in her first full practice since being sidelined by a stress reaction in her right shin. She is listed as probable for Wednesday’s game at Georgetown.

Stokes, who will have to wear a sleeve on her leg when she plays, has missed the last five games. She has not played since seeing eight minutes against Penn State Dec. 6.

“I’m hoping to play,’’ Stokes said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been on the court so I’m just ready to get after it and get back playing again. It’s been a long five games sitting out so it feels good to be getting back.

“I think I’ll have to calm myself down a little bit. It will take a while to get the rust off. I haven’t played for a while. So it’ll take me a few minutes or so, but I’ll be good to go.’’

Stokes was able to finally workout in a halfcourt setting at practice late last week and she said that she could have played in an emergency Saturday against Notre Dame.

Stokes, who was still wearing an air cast on her right leg Monday night, is not yet completely healed. However, she has been virtually pain-free during her recent workouts.

“I’m just working my way back up,’’ Stokes said. “If my leg starts hurting then maybe at practice the next day calm down a little bit. But everything I’ve done now it doesn’t hurt as bad as it did before. So it’s just getting better every day and hopefully it’ll stay on that track.’’

Stokes is averaging 2.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 12.4 minutes in eight games this season. UConn coach Geno Auriemma is unsure exactly how much playing time she will see against the Hoyas.

“She’s usually limited by her energy level,’’ Auriemma said. “So I’m hoping that not playing for a while maybe lights a little bit of a fire under her. So she’s going to be limited by herself, not me.’’

Said UConn sophomore Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis: “It’s probably going to be a slow start for her. But hopefully she comes back strong and she watched what we’ve been doing the past couple of weeks and watched what we learned from the loss (to Notre Dame) and she comes in and helps us.’’

Rich

The Huskies dropped one spot to No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports poll today. They received four of a possible 31 first-place votes.

Baylor moved up one spot to No. 1, receiving 21 first-place votes. Notre Dame also received four first-place votes and moved up two spots to No. 3.

Fifth-ranked Duke received the remaining two first-place votes.

Rich