HARTFORD, Conn. – The No. 1 University of Connecticut women’s basketball team was well represented when the 2011 Major Awards were announced by the BIG EAST at a press conference on Friday afternoon at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. Geno Auriemma was named Coach of the Year, Maya Moore was honored as the Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Bria Hartley earned Freshman of the Year honors.
Auriemma led the Huskies (29-1, 16-0) to their ninth undefeated conference season and the 19th BIG EAST Regular Season Championship in the last 23 years. Auriemma takes home the award for the fourth-consecutive year and the 10th time overall. Auriemma, who is in his 26th season at UConn, enters BIG EAST Tournament play with a 764-123 overall record and a 58-9 mark during the BIG EAST Tournament. Connecticut has won 16 Tournament titles since 1989.
Moore wins the BIG EAST Player of the Year award for a record-tying third time in her career. She was the first freshman in the history of the league to earn the award and also took home the honor during her sophomore season. A Husky has now earned BIG EAST Player of the Year in each of the last four seasons and 17 times in the last 23 years. Moore joins former Husky star Kerry Bascom (1989, 1990, 1991) and former Villanova standout Shelly Pennefather (1985, 1986, 1987) as the only players to earn the prestigious award three times.
Her second-consecutive BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year nod is equally impressive as Moore will receive a $2,000 scholarship as the women’s basketball winner and an additional $2,000 as the female scholar-athlete, making her total award $4,000. She will join Rebecca Lobo as the only two-time winners of the women’s basketball award and she will be just the third player to win both the basketball and female awards in the same year (Leigh Curl of UConn in 1985 and Ruth Riley of Notre Dame in 2001).
Moore was recently named the Capital One University Division All-American of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America for the second-consecutive year as well. The Lawrenceville, Ga. native who sports a 3.7 GPA in an individualized major of sports media promotion, is a three-time Academic All-America pick.
Hartley becomes the 11th Husky to be named BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. The Rookie of the Year has worn a Connecticut uniform in four of the last six years. Hartley was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week six times this season and she the only freshman to make the All-BIG EAST Second Team. She and classmate Stefanie Dolson were unanimous All-Rookie Team picks.
And now we can add another record to the already long list.