Husky commit Walker National Player of Year

Other than scoring the gamewinning basket in the state championship game, hearing that she was named the Naismith national high school player of the year and having WNBA star Elena Delle Donne present her with the Gatorade national player of the year honor, it has been a pretty uneventful last five or six days for UConn incoming freshman Megan Walker.

The latest stop on Walker’s victory tour came during a break in a wild NBA game between the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center on Wednesday night, when Delle Donne walked up from behind to present her with the Gatorade trophy. Walker thought she was on the court to be recognized for leading Monacan High School to a third straight Virginia 4A state title.

Walker, a 6-foot-1 forward,

admitted these several days have been ones she won’t soon forget.

“Their emotion to me for the game was just great and winning these awards just means a lot; to be able to get this award not just for basketball, but work in the classroom,” said Walker, who has a 3.83 grade-point average.

Walker averaged 25.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game in leading Monacan to a 30-0 season and third consecutive Virginia 4A championship. Walker had 35 points (one shy of her season high) in the 4A title game, including 18 in the fourth quarter. Walker’s jumper in the lane with 14 seconds left lifted Monacan to the 60-59 victory.

Walker finished with 13 games with at least 30 points and 25 double-doubles in her four seasons at Monacan.

“This year the leadership came out because we were two-time state champs and I knew this year was going to be harder, so I had to make sure our team, we were on the same page,” Walker said.

Walker is the eighth UConn player to win the award, joining Tamika Williams, Ann Strother, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Breanna Stewart and Katie Lou Samuelson.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma compared Walker’s potential impact on the Huskies as being similar to what Samuelson has accomplished. No, the Hall of Fame coach isn’t expecting Walker to be a 3-point shooter similar to Samuelson, but does think her size will enable her to play multiple positions when she gets to UConn.

“There is not a lot that Meg can’t do,” Auriemma said. “I am looking forward to getting her up here, let’s put it that way.

“When you are her size, you are not limited to just one thing. She is like Lou (Katie Lou Samuelson), not as tall, but you can put her anywhere on the floor and be successful. It is just a matter of repetition and being put in the situation where you aren’t the best player on the floor every minute of every day. There is a reason why everybody in America thought she was the best player because of the many things that she can do and not the one thing that she can do.”

Next up for Walker are the McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic, where she will share the court with fellow UConn signee Mikayla Coombs for both games, and with future Husky Lexi Gordon in the Jordan Brand Classic.

“It will be like the official visit when I got to play with them,” Walker said. “Mikayla Coombs is on my team for both games and I will be playing against Lexi (Gordon in the Jordan Brand Classic) so I am looking forward to it.”

Walker is planning to arrive at UConn for summer session in May before she actually receives her high school diploma.

She sounds ready for the next stage of her basketball career.

“Most people would be nervous or kind of timid,” Walker said. “The expectations, you have to live up to them. The time is now and I have to step up.

“I am looking forward to getting there, starting workouts and getting better. I think I really enjoy the process more than anything.”