The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
UConn’s Collier named AAC Player of Year
STORRS — Napheesa Collier was caught offguard when she learned Friday morning that she had won American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
“I was a little bit surprised,” Collier said, laughing, before practice at the Werth Center. “But it’s a really nice honor. I worked really hard on my defense these last four years.”
Safe to say, the UConn senior was somewhat less shocked by the other reward she received — AAC Player of the Year.
“She deserves it, definitely 100 percent,” sophomore Megan Walker said. “We’ve just got to keep pushing for our seniors.”
Collier, a 6-foot-2 forward, leads the Huskies in both scoring (20.2) and rebounding (10.2). She previously shared the award with Katie Lou Samuelson as a sophomore. It’s the sixth straight year a Husky has taken the conference’s top honor, dating to Breanna Stewart in 2014.
“I would want to find out which player had more of an impact on their team in every game and was more consistent
on both ends of the floor than Pheesa was this year,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “That’s what kind of year she had.”
Collier was also named to the All-AAC First Team alongside Samuelson and Crystal Dangerfield, as well as Kay Kay Wright (UCF), Ilmar’l Thomas (Cincinnati) and Mia Davis (Temple). Walker was placed on the Third Team.
Christyn Williams was named Freshman of the Year. The No. 1 player in the Class of 2018, Williams is averaging 10.6 and 3.0 rebounds. She’s the first Husky to win that honor since Kia Nurse in 2015.
And finally, Auriemma was named Coach of the Year. Auriemma, who’s led the Huskies to a 28-2 record, including 16-0 in the AAC, has won the award 15 times during his 34-year Hall of Fame career.
The top-seeded Huskies will play ECU in the AAC quarterfinals on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.