2014 WNBA MVP Maya Moore

Former UConn Huskies All-American Maya Moore picked up a big honor on Thursday as she was named the 2014 WNBA MVP.

Here’s the full release from the WNBA:

NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2014 – Maya Moore of the Minnesota Lynx has been named the 2014 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Samsung, the WNBA announced today. Moore received 371 points (including 35 first-place votes) from a national panel of 38 sportswriters and broadcasters.

This year marks the first season that Samsung, an official WNBA marketing partner, is serving as the presenting partner of the WNBA’s highest individual honors. The WNBA Performance Awards presented by Samsung program includes the WNBA Most Valuable Player, WNBA Most Improved Player, WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, WNBA Rookie of the Year, and the WNBA Players of the Month and Rookie of the Month awards.

For Moore, the reigning MVP of the WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile and the league’s 2011 Rookie of the Year, this is the first regular-season MVP honor of her career. The University of Connecticut product and two-time WNBA champion finished as the runner-up to Candace Parker in MVP voting a year ago and finished fourth behind winner Tina Charles in 2012.

Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi finished second in the voting with 242 points (two first-place votes) and Atlanta Dream guard/forward Angel McCoughtry finished third with 112 points. Rounding out the top five vote-getters were Los Angeles Sparks forward/center Candace Parker (91 points) and Mercury center Brittney Griner (67 points, one first-place vote), who finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

This season, Moore guided the Lynx to a 25-9 record and the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed for the playoffs, despite the club being without injured All-Stars Rebekkah Brunson and Seimone Augustus for 23 and nine games, respectively.

For the regular season, Moore played in all 34 games and paced the league in scoring (23.9 ppg), the third-highest average in WNBA history behind the 25.3 ppg and 24.1 ppg by Diana Taurasi in 2006 and 2008, respectively.

The WNBA’s top draft pick in 2011, Moore opened the 2014 season by scoring 135 points over her first four outings, marking the most prolific four-game scoring stretch in WNBA history. With that effort, the fourth-year pro became the first player in league history to post four consecutive games of 30 or more points after pouring in 34 points at Washington; 33 vs. Connecticut; a then-career-high 38 at Tulsa; and 30 vs. New York. She went on to finish the regular season with a league-record 12 games of 30-plus points, topping the previous mark of 10 set by Diana Taurasi in 2008.

Moore had perhaps her best outing of the season in a 112-108 double-overtime win over the visiting Atlanta Dream on July 22. In the victory, Moore tallied a career-high 48 points, marking the second-highest single-game total in WNBA history. Four games later, in a 84-75 victory at Tulsa on Aug. 2, Moore posted 40 points to break the league record for the most 30-point games in a single season.

Moore also finished the season ranked atop the WNBA in made field goals (295) and was second in minutes (34.7 mpg) and free throws made (160). Moore placed eighth in rebounding (8.1 rpg), tied for third in three-point field goals made (62), fourth in free throw percentage (.884, 160-of-181), tied for fourth in steals (1.88 spg), sixth in double-doubles (10), and 20th in assists (3.4 apg). In addition to leading her club in scoring, Moore placed second on the Lynx in rebounding and assists, and third in blocks (0.82 bpg).

Moore earned two of the four Western Conference Player of the Month presented by Samsung awards and was named the conference’s Player of the Week five times, becoming the first player in league history to win Player of the Week honors in four consecutive weeks.

Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for third, three for fourth and one for each fifth-place vote received.

In honor of being named the WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Samsung, Moore will receive $15,000 and a specially-designed trophy.

Below are the voting results of the 2014 WNBA Most Valuable Player presented by Samsung and a list of past recipients:

2014 WNBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER PRESENTED BY SAMSUNG VOTING RESULTS

photo credit: jordan brand facebook

Sue Bird

Swin Cash

Tina Charles

Stefanie Dolson

Kelly Faris

Kalana Greene

Bria Hartley

Tiffany Hayes

Renee Montgomery

Maya Moore

Diana Taurasi

STORRS, Conn.   – UConn senior center Stefanie Dolson has been selected by the Washington Mystics with the No. 6 pick while senior guard Bria Hartley was selected by the Seattle Storm with the seventh pick of the 2014 WNBA Draft, presented by State Farm.  The Draft was held Monday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Dolson and Hartley will be the 28^th and 29^th different former Huskies to play in the WNBA since the league’s inception in 1997.  UConn has now had a player selected in the WNBA Draft 15 times in the last 17 years.  UConn did not have any seniors on its roster in 2003 or 2007.  Dolson and Hartley are the 14^th and 15^th Huskies all-time to be selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft.

A two-time WBCA All-America selection, Dolson completed her career at UConn as one of the most dominant basketball players at the Division I level. A winner of two national championships, Dolson ranks first in UConn history with 152 starts, fourth in rebounds (1,101) and blocks (254) and 12^th in total points (1,797). During her senior campaign in 2013-14, Dolson was named the WBCA Division I Defensive Player of the Year as was also tabbed as the 2013-14 American Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Sportsmanship Award winner.

Dolson, the 2013-14 Senior CLASS Award winner in NCAA Division I women’s basketball, was a critical piece of UConn’s title run this past season. She contributed 93 blocks, helping Connecticut set the NCAA team record for most single-season blocks (326).

In 2012-13, the center was named to the 2012-13 All-BIG EAST First Team and earned a spot on the 2012-13 Associated Press All-America Third Team.  As a sophomore, she was named to the 2011-12 Preseason Naismith Award Watch List and was placed on the 2011-12 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team.

During her career at UConn, the Huskies won 144 of 155 of their games and reached the Final Four in every season. The senior closed her career on a 46-game winning streak, dating back to the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

A two-time WBCA All-America selection, Hartley departs UConn after winning two National Championships and making four Final Four appearances as a four-year starter. The North Babylon,  N.Y. native etched her name into the Connecticut history books, finishing sixth in program history with 140 starts and 259 made three-pointers and ninth in total points (1,994).

A 2013-14 Associated Press Second Team All-America selection, Hartley was named as a finalist for the Wade and Wooden Awards and was named a USBWA All-American in her senior campaign. In 2012-13, she was named to the 2013 All-NCAA Tournament Team and led the Huskies in assists a team-high 16 times throughout the season.

As a sophomore, she was tabbed as both a 2011-12 WBCA/State Farm All-American and an All-BIG EAST First Team member. She burst on the women’s NCAA basketball scene in 2010-11 as the 2010-11 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year.

She joined elite company in her final season in Storrs, becoming just the third Husky, alongside Maya Moore and Diana Taurasi to amass 1,500 points/500 assists/500 rebounds.

UPDATE 10:15 p.m.: The duo will remain as teammates as Hartley was part of trade that sent her to the Washington Mystics.

photo credits: uconn women’s basketball facebook