3 Huskies Named to Naismith Award List

We're about 20 percent of the way into the season and the UConn women's team is 7-0. On Wednesday, three of the top four scorers were named to the 2011-12 Naismith Women’s early season watch list as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club: senior Tiffany Hayes, and sophomores Bria Hartley and Stefanie Dolson. (Incidentally, the Huskies leading scorer is freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.)

All three players were named to the Wooden Award preseason watch list seven weeks ago.

Details via the press release:

The list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2012 college basketball season. The 2012 Naismith Trophy will be awarded at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Denver.

The Huskies, a perfect 7-0 to start the season, are one of three teams to have three players named to the list with Notre Dame and Tennessee. The BIG EAST is well represented being the conference with the most student-athletes on the early season list as 12 players from six BIG EAST universities are represented.

“With 15 players returning from last season’s watch list, including two of last year’s finalists, this year’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year trophy is all about experience,” said Eric Oberman, Atlanta Tipoff Club executive director. “We’re excited for all of the action to unfold and to see who is left standing at the end of the season.”

In late February, the board of selectors will release a midseason team of the top 30 players in the nation, and in March, the Naismith Trophy voting academy will vote to narrow the list to the four finalists.

Individual awards are nice but the Huskies have their sights set on winning a national title, something they fell two games short of last season. And that journey continues on December 6 with they host the defending national champions Texas A&M.

The Aggies are currently 7-0, as well, and their latest win coming against Iowa last Sunday. They'll face Purdue on Sunday before traveling to Hartford to face the Huskies on Tuesday.

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