Here is my UConn/Arizona Pregame Report
Nika Muhl has a high ankle sprain, according to Geno Auriemma
— Doug Bonjour (@DougBonjour) March 31, 2021
She got on the court for the first time since the injury today. They're waiting to see how she responds.
— Doug Bonjour (@DougBonjour) March 31, 2021
BREAKING: @paigebueckers1 of @UConnWBB is the first freshman to be named The Associated Press women's basketball player of the year.
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) March 31, 2021
Story by @dougfeinberg >>https://t.co/LYb5ucOBBL pic.twitter.com/Jiq59OmSXJ
Join AP's live presentation of the AP Women’s Player of the Year and Coach of the Year Awards with recipients @paigebueckers1 of @UConnWBB and @TerpsWBB's @BrendaFrese. https://t.co/60oBcwAole
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) March 31, 2021
Paige Bueckers gives a shoutout to the other players she sees as deserving of this award, including Dana Evans, Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, Elissa Cunane.
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 31, 2021
Says she wants to use her platform and the attention she draws to highlight other great players, teams across the country
Maryland's Brenda Frese, the AP Coach of the Year, takes a moment to congratulate Paige Bueckers and recognize "what she continues to do for women's basketball and put it at new heights"
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 31, 2021
Paige Bueckers is the first freshman ever to win the AP women's basketball player of the year 🏆
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 31, 2021
One year in and already making history 👏 @espnW pic.twitter.com/eZyFzaRhkR
Paige Bueckers, your new AP National Player of the Year:
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 31, 2021
"This is something I dreamt of doing as a kid. I mean, you can't even dream of it, because it seems so surreal, seems so impossible. I know with God on my side, anything is possible."
1. Emily Engstler, 6-1 guard, senior, Syracuse
Engstler is currently one of eight Syracuse players in the transfer portal and, at this point, the headliner of the bunch. After starting 31 games as a sophomore, she moved into a role this season in which she was a spark off the bench. The result? She was named the ACC’s co-Sixth Player of the Year as she averaged 10.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 42 percent from the floor. Her 3-point shooting percentage went up 10 percent this season, but she also made major strides in her offensive rebounding and cut back on her turnovers. She’s a former top-10 recruit who will add a physical element to any roster.
2. Diamond Johnson, 5-5 guard, sophomore, Rutgers
Johnson had a huge freshman season for Rutgers, averaging 17.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She’s a true three-level scoring threat who shot 51 percent overall from the floor. Only five freshmen nationally scored more points per game than Johnson this season, and all five of those players were the primary scorers on their respective teams while Johnson was the secondary option behind Arella Guirantes. Johnson doesn’t turn the ball over often and she’s an efficient player, averaging 1.21 points per shot.
3. Gina Conti, 5-10 guard, super senior, Wake Forest
If a team is looking for an instant impact point guard with years of experience, Conti would be a very good pick. She started 98 games during her career at Wake Forest, and this season she averaged 13.8 points and 3.8 rebounds while leading the team with 4.6 assists per game. Her turnover percentage improved every season at Wake Forest (down to 18 percent in 2020-21) while her usage increased. When she was on the floor, the Demon Deacons assisted on more than 45 percent of their makes, as opposed to 35 percent when she was on the bench.
4. Anastasia Hayes, 5-7 guard, redshirt senior, Middle Tennessee State
With a grad transfer option, Hayes is likely making one final push for the kind of Power 6 career she began at Tennessee as a freshman. She finished this season as the nation’s second-leading scorer behind Caitlin Clark, averaging 26.5 points per game as well as 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Hayes is most efficient when creating and driving the lane. Even at 5-foot-7, she finishes at a clip of 56 percent at the rim. It’s hard to imagine that wherever she goes next she would be as much of a focal point as she has been at Middle Tennessee State — where she averaged the fourth-most shots nationally at 20.2 per game — but she’d certainly be an asset for several teams in major conferences.
5. Ariyah Copeland, 6-3 forward, super senior, Alabama
If a program is looking for an experienced big who does most of her work in the paint, Copeland is an intriguing option; more than 95 percent of her shot attempts came at the rim this past season, and she made 63 percent of them. She’ll leave Alabama as a 77-game starter with the program’s second-best career shooting percentage (55.8 percent). She’s not the kind of weapon who can reliably step out and attack opponents with mid-range shooting, but not every program needs that out of their posts. Copeland is an experienced player who can plant herself in the paint and make an impact on both ends of the floor.
6. Sasha Goforth, 6-1 guard, sophomore, Oregon State
Goforth announced her intention to transfer on March 29 and is now officially in the portal. The freshman wrote on Twitter that she wants to play closer to home (Fayetteville, Ark.), so that narrows her landing possibilities. She was a 20-game starter for the Beavers this season and showed a great amount of upside, averaging 11.6 points and 3.6 rebounds a game. There is one program very close to home for Goforth that will be looking to restock its roster this season — could we see Goforth in an Arkansas uniform?
7. Kiara Lewis, 5-8 guard, super senior, Syracuse
There aren’t a ton of all-conference players who enter the transfer portal, but Lewis is one of them. Lewis was All-ACC during the 2019-20 season and an honorable mention pick this season as she led the Orange with 14 points per game. The Chicago native began her career at Ohio State before transferring to Syracuse after one season. Now as a graduate, she’ll be immediately eligible to play for any program.
8. Madison Hayes, 6-foot guard, sophomore, Mississippi State
The former five-star player started the final nine games of the season for the Bulldogs and averaged 4.7 points, 1.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 20.4 minutes of play per game. Hayes committed to Mississippi State in September 2019 and kept her commitment even after Vic Schaefer left for Texas. It’s possible she didn’t see minutes opening up for her at Mississippi State considering there were no seniors ahead of her on the Bulldogs’ depth chart. Perhaps we’ll see her land closer to her home of Tennessee, or perhaps we’ll see her re-connect with Schaefer in Austin.
9. Kayana Traylor, 5-9 guard, senior, Purdue
Traylor accumulated 70 career starts during her three years at Purdue. She averaged a team-leading 15.0 points and 3.9 assists per game this year and has kept her shooting percentage at a steady 39 percent through her entire career. In Traylor, teams can expect a two-year player. According to her recent tweet, she’s expecting to take this past season as a “free” year and use her five years of eligibility before making any pro or post-college moves. That kind of stability at a guard spot, especially from someone with as much starting experience as Traylor has, will be very attractive to some schools looking to build guard depth.
10. Alasia Hayes, 5-7 guard, sophomore, Notre Dame
When Hayes entered the transfer portal a few weeks ago, there was thought that she might join her older sisters — Anastasia and Aislynn — at Middle Tennessee State. Now, with all three sisters in the transfer portal, that’s not going to happen. Hayes was the No. 44 player in the 2020 class and the 2020 Tennessean Girls Basketball Player of the Year, but she didn’t see the floor much this past season in Notre Dame’s rotation. She appeared in only 13 games and averaged less than eight minutes, but as a proven scorer — she averaged 24 points per game as a senior in high school — she could be a valuable addition to many rosters.
11. Digna Strautmane, 6-2 forward, super senior, Syracuse
Strautmane has started every game in which she’s played for the Orange, averaging 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds this past season. She has experience on the international stage with the Latvian youth team and has continued to improve during her college career. Her best game of the season came in Syracuse’s NCAA Tournament opener when she had a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds). On the offensive end, she’s solid around the hoop and has a reliable mid-range jumper, though she hasn’t employed it much of late.
12. Taylah Thomas, 6-1 forward, super senior, Arkansas
Both Bueckers and Carrington took 22 shots in the game. Paige made 10, Carrington 7. Carrington went 2-12 in the 2nd half and took 7 total threes. Given she is a 29% three point shooter, one wonders what she was thinking. Her 1-7 from three range is 14%. Moon Ursin, on the other hand, is a 38% three shooter and took only 1 three (and made it). Carrington's 3 assists are more than Paige's 0, but she was guarding Paige during the 19-0 run and Paige had 10 of those points.
Bottom line for Carrington:
1. 2-12 in the 2nd half is 16% shooting. Pass the ball.
2. 1-7 from three is dumb given your lousy shooting all season from that range.
3. The player you guarded smoked you for points whenever she wanted to.
4. In a close game, your 4th quarter stat line was 0-4 from the field, 3 turnovers and 0 assists. That is bad.
Like Doggy, I'm done with the Baylor game and love the UConn win. Just wanted to point out the contrast between Paige and Dijonai during and after the game. Class vs drama.
Go Huskies..!!
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