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NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ (Mar. 1, 2002) - Senior Sue Bird
(Syosset, NY) was selected BIG EAST Player of the Year to headline
a host of Husky award winners Friday night at the BIG EAST’s
women’s basketball annual awards banquet. All five of UConn’s
starters earned All-BIG EAST recognition, while head coach Geno
Auriemma took home BIG EAST Coach of the Year.
Bird, the 2001-02 Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year and a finalist
for the Naismith Award, ranks second in the conference in assists
(5.8 per game) and 11th in scoring (13.9 points per game). She was
also named to the All-BIG EAST First Team for the second consecutive
season.
Bird was joined on the All-BIG EAST First Team by teammates senior
Swin Cash (McKeesport, PA), senior Asjha Jones (Piscataway, NJ)
and sophomore Diana Taurasi (Chino, CA). Cash finished the regular
season ranked first in the BIG EAST in scoring (15.6 points per
game), rebounding (9.1 per game) and field goal percentage (.549)
while Jones ranked in the top 15 in the conference in both scoring
(13.4 points per game) and rebounding (6.2).
Taurasi, a member of the 2001 BIG EAST All-Rookie Team, was the
only sophomore named to the first team. She ranks ninth in the conference
in scoring (14.1 points per game) and first in both three-point
field goal percentage (.455) and assists-to-turnover ratio (2.69).
Senior Tamika Williams (Dayton, OH) was named to All-BIG EAST Third
Team for the third consecutive season. She ranks eighth in the conference
in rebounding (6.6) and averages 10.0 points per game.
Guiding UConn to its third undefeated regular season, Auriemma was
selected BIG EAST Coach of the Year, the fifth time he has received
the accolade. Auriemma, a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the
Year, also garnered the BIG EAST Coach of the Year Award in 1988-89,
1994-95, 1996-97 and 1999-2000.
By virtue of its undefeated 16-0 mark in conference play, UConn
also was honored as the 2001-02 BIG EAST regular season champions
Friday night.
The Huskies aim for their ninth consecutive BIG EAST Tournament
title when they begin play in quarterfinal action Sunday afternoon
at 2 p.m.
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