Dolson, Hartley and Stewart Selected to Wooden Award Final Ballot

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Senior center Stefanie Dolson, senior guard Bria Hartley and sophomore forward Breanna Stewart have each been selected to the final ballot for the 2014 John R. Wooden Award, as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Thursday.  Maya Moore (2009, 2011) and Tina Charles (2010) are former Huskies to earn the prestigious award. 

UConn was one of only two schools to place multiple student-athletes on the 15-member ballot as Notre Dame placed two. 

Dolson was recently selected as the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year while also being honored with the league’s Sportsmanship Award.  Dolson, an All-American Conference First Team pick as well, has keyed a Husky defense that is threatening NCAA record marks in team field goal percentage defense and scoring defense.  The Port Jervis, N.Y. native is third on the team at 12.4 points per game and second in the conference with 9.1 rebounds per contest.  She is fourth all-time in UConn history with a .592 field goal percentage and recently became only the fifth Husky all-time to accrue at least 1000 points and 1000 rebounds. 

Hartley, who was honored as an All-American Athletic Conference First Team selection, is second on the team with 16.6 points per game and has dished-out 130 assists against only 62 turnovers.  A 2011-12 WBCA/State Farm All-American, Hartley ranks in the top-five in the league in points per game, 3-point field goal percentage, assist-to-turnover ratio and assists.  Hartley recently became only the third Husky ever, along with Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi, to register at least 1,500 points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds.  

Stewart, who joined Dolson and Hartley on the All-American Athletic Conference First Team, is leading the team and is second in the conference with 19.5 points per game.  She is second on the team at 8.3 rebounds per contest and is only three assists shy of becoming the fourth Husky to tally at least 100 assists this season.

About the John R. Wooden Award

Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball.  It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA.  Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird (’79), Michael Jordan (’84), Tim Duncan (’97), Candace Parker (’07 and ’08), Kevin Durant (’09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut (’09 and ‘11). Baylor’s Brittney Griner won the 2013 John R. Wooden Award.

Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed close to a million dollars to universities’ general scholarship fund in the names of the All American recipients. The Award has also sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps in the Award’s name.   Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament.  The day-long tournament, which brings together Special Olympic athletes and the All Americans, takes place at The Los Angeles Athletic Club the weekend of the John R. Wooden Award Ceremony.

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