STORRS, Conn. – Senior University of Connecticut women’s basketball standout Stefanie Dolson has been selected as one of three finalists for WBCA Division I Defensive Player of the Year Award, presented by the United States Marine Corps. Joining Dolson as finalists for the honor are Stanford’s Chiney Ogwumike and Baylor’s Odyssey Sims.
The Defensive Player of the Year award honors the best defensive collegiate Division I women’s basketball player. All Division I conference defensive players of the year are eligible to be nominated for the award. A selection committee makes the final decision on the winner.
“These finalists are the ones who make their opponents change up offenses in hopes of being able to find ways to score,” said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. “The age-old adage, ‘defense wins games,’ continues to be a dominant factor in the game and each of these women have made it a key component in their play. I wish each of these ladies the best of luck at the WBCA Awards Show in Nashville!”
“The United States Marine Corps is honored to recognize three of women’s college basketball leading players as finalists for the WBCA’s Division I Defensive Player of the Year Award,” said Maj. Gen. Mark Brilakis, Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruiting Command. “Each nominee exemplifies the leadership attributes of honor, courage and commitment on the court, in the classroom and in all aspects of their lives, which are all values the Marine Corps holds in high esteem.”
Dolson has anchored a UConn defense that leads the country in opponents field goal percentage (30.7 percent) and points allowed (47.4 ppg), both of which approach NCAA single-season records. She is fourth all-time at UConn in blocked shots and swatted a career-high eight shots in UConn’s Regional Final victory over Texas A&M on March 31.
The 2013-14 American Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Sportsmanship Award winner, she enters the Final Four averaging 12.4 points per game and leading the team in rebounding with 9.2 boards per contest.
Dolson is 11th on UConn’s all-time scoring list with 1,770 career points and joins the elite company of Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Rebecca Lobo, and Jamelle Elliott as the only Huskies to register at least 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
Dolson also boasts the distinction of joining Kara Wolters as the only two Huskies to four-peat as conference All-Tournament selections. To top the list, the senior recorded just the program’s second triple-double against Oregon on Nov. 20 before Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis posted the third. Dolson is also a finalist for the Wade Trophy and Wooden Award and earned a spot on the USBWA All-America Team.
The winner will be announced during the WBCA Awards Show, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. CT Monday, April 7, in the Omni Nashville Hotel’s Broadway Ballroom. This event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women’s Final Four®.
