The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Honors roll in for Auriemma, Huskies
Peers select Auriemma as Coach of the Year
When the season began Hall of Famer Geno Auriemma was faced with the task of coaching a team without a returning Women’s Basketball Coaches Association all-regional selection for the first time in a decade. Auriemma also put together perhaps the most challenging non-conference schedule in recent memory.
That combination figured to result in a few more regular-season losses than normal. Instead, Auriemma coached the Huskies to their ninth undefeated regular season. Obviously his peers were paying attention as Auriemma was named the WBCA Division I Coach of the Year for the seventh time on Thursday. The honors did not stop there. Sophomore forward Napheesa Collier was named one of the four finalists for the Wade Trophy, the top individual honor in women’s college basketball. Washington’s Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson of South Carolina and Ohio State’s Kelsey Mitchell were the other finalists.
Collier also earned WBCA regional honors along with teammates Katie Lou Samuelson and Gabby Williams, making them eligible for the 10-player WBCA All-American team.
Collier is averaging 20.2 points per game (shooting 69.3 percent from the field), she leads the Huskies in rebounding (8.9 per game) and has a team-best 68 blocked shots.
Samuelson is the team leader in scoring (20.9 points per game), her 114 3-pointers is seven shy of Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis’ single-season program record. She also has
111 assists and 50 steals. Her older sister Karlie, a senior at Stanford, was also among the 40 all-region honorees.
Williams is averaging 13.7 points per game, leads the Huskies with 179 rebounds and 93 steals and is second on the team in rebounding and blocked shots.
A maximum of three players per team can be selected to the WBCA all-regional teams which is why UConn junior guard Kia Nurse was not among the 40 players honored on Thursday.