UConn’s Bueckers on AllAmerica team
UConn guard Paige Bueckers was named to the Associated Press women’s basketball AllAmerican team Wednesday, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2006) and UConn’s Maya Moore (2008) as the only freshmen to make the squad.
Bueckers received 28 firstplace votes from the national panel of 30 media members that vote each week in the AP Top 25 poll. She was joined by Dana Evans of Louisville, Aliyah Boston of South Carolina, Rhyne Howard of Kentucky and NaLyssa Smith of Baylor.
Bueckers is averaging 19.7 points, 6.1 assists this season. She is shooting nearly 54% from the field, including 47% from 3point range.
“Name one player that has taken a team this young to where we are today,“UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said. “Who’s done more than her? And if you can give me a better argument, then I would say I’ll vote for them, too. But I don’t think you can.”
The second team has N.C. State’s Elissa Cunane, Michigan’s Naz Hillmon, Aari McDonald of Arizona, Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark and Charli Collier of Texas.
Stanford’s Kiana Williams was voted to the third team, on which she was joined by Oklahoma State’s Natasha Mack, Maryland’s Ashley Owusu, UCLA’s Michaela Onyenwere and Arkansas’ Chelsea Dungee.
⏩ UConn assistant coach Shea Ralph has decided to leave the team in San Antonio before the NCAA Tournament begins after a family member tested positive for the coronavirus.
The move comes two days after Auriemma announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus and would be isolating in Connecticut until at least next Wednesday.
⏩ Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale is retiring after 25 years leading the program. Coale, 56, finishes with a 512293 record and three Final Four berths.
“Twentyfive years just feels right in my bones and in my soul,” Coale said.