Hartford Courant

Trio of Uconn players named to award watch lists

- — Lila Bromberg

A trio of Uconn women’s basketball players received national recognitio­n from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Associatio­n this week.

Nika Mühl was named a top 10 candidate for the Nancy Lieberman Award on Monday, Aaliyah Edwards made the top 10 for the Katrina Mcclain Award on Thursday and Dorka Juhász was on the top 10 watch list for Lisa Leslie Award on Friday.

The Nancy Lieberman Award is given annually to the best point guard in the country. Mühl has recorded double-digit assists in a program-record nine games this season and leads the nation with 8.8 assists per game. A Husky has won the award nine times over the previous 23 years it’s been in existence: Sue Bird (2000, ‘01, ‘02), Diana Taurasi (2003, ‘04), Renee Montgomery (2009), Moriah Jefferson (2015, ‘16) and Paige Bueckers (2021).

Also on the list for the Lieberman Award are Caitlin Clark (Iowa), Oliva Miles (Notre Dame), Rori Harmon (Texas), Lauren Park-lane (Seton Hall), Mckenna Hofschild (Colorado State), Maura Hendrixson (Drexel), Alexis Morris (LSU), Dyaisha Fair (Syracuse) and Jenna Clark (Yale)

“I feel like it’s an honor being on the list considerin­g the players that have won that award many years before, including Paige,” Mühl said. “But at the same time,

I’m not satisfied. I have something that I’m working for that’s much bigger than that, in my opinion, my personal view. So that’s a great honor, I’m very thankful for it.”

The Mcclain Award goes to the best power forward in the country each year. Edwards is averaging 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game this season. The junior forward was also named to the Wooden Award late season top-20 watch list this week.

Former Husky Napheesa Collier won in 2019. The rest of this year’s candidates are Angel Reese (LSU), Maddy Siegrist (Villanova), Aneesah Morrow (Depaul),cameron Brink (Stanford), Esmery Martinez(arizona),catereese(arizona), Erynnbarnu­m(arkansas),laurengust­in (BYU) and Alissa Pili (Utah).

The Leslie Award is given to the best center in the nation. Juhász is averaging a double-double for Uconn this season, putting up 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

The other candidates include Aliyah Boston (South Carolina), Elizabeth Kitley (Virginia Tech), Monika Czinano (Iowa), Mackenzie Holmes (Indiana), Quay Miller (Colorado), Taiyanna Jackson (Kansas), Jessika Carter (Mississipp­i State), Alexis Markowski (Nebraska) and Bella Murekatete (Washington State). Boston has won the award in each of the last three seasons.

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