3 huskies selected to espnw AA 1st team [merged thread]

[RockyMTblue2]

What bothers me is if kls doesn't get a poy award this year its going to be tough the next 2yrs if Azura stays for her 4th year.

I dunno about that. I know Geno's remark about 1st in the draft and Z's ACC performance, prior to a year plus of UConn's advanced b'ball shaping, auger well for her. But there is still so very much upside in Lou's game. OMG, what a nightmare!

 

[xHunt3r]

Well, I guess it's four Huskies if you count Plum...

Should of titled it that way so some folks around here would freak out...

 

[Plebe]

How many people actually vote for these ESPNW awards?

I'm sensing an angry duck in the tone of that question.

 

[SCGamecock]

The A'ja Wilson obsession train is always on time.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

"I'm surprised by this list not because there are no Baylor players on it, but I would have thought ESPN would put all 5 U-Conn players on first team, and somehow figure out how to comment on Rebecca Lobo's accomplishments." I had to laugh at this from another board. Very good!

 

[triaddukefan]

I'm sensing an angry duck in the tone of that question.

Im just asking a simple question

 

[MarlboroughMike]

How many people actually vote for these ESPNW awards?

Four: Marisa, Shea, CD & Geno

 

[Lynx23]

Trio of Huskies headline espnW All-America first team

First Team
Napheesa Collier, UConn
Kelsey Plum, Washington
Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn
Gabby Williams, UConn
A'ja Wilson, South Carolina

Second Team
Brionna Jones, Maryland
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
Brianna Turner, Notre Dame
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland
Sydney Wiese, Oregon State

Also receiving votes: Lindsay Allen, Notre Dame; Lexie Brown, Duke; Chantel Osahor, Washington; Alexis Peterson, Syracuse

Three All-Americans and one All-Canadian (in my book, anyway)

 

[Plebe]

Im just asking a simple question

Look at it this way: Maryland fans get the pleasure of having two of their players on espnW's second team. Maybe that will comfort them when the selection committee names them a #3 seed on Monday, behind Duke

 

[triaddukefan]

Glad to see that Lexie Brown also received votes. She had an amazing year for Duke, and she is the primary reason for Duke's resurgence after a very, very disappointing 2015-2016 season.

 

[oldude]

The A'ja Wilson obsession train is always on time.

As a completely biased UConn fan, my 1st team would have included Plum & Wilson along with UConn's trio. Plum was phenomenal this season, and every time I watched SC play, with the exception of the UConn game, Wilson was a dominant presence who always seemed to make the key plays in tight games.

 

[SCGamecock]

As a completely biased UConn fan, my 1st team would have included Plum & Wilson along with UConn's trio. Plum was phenomenal this season, and every time I watched SC play, with the exception of the UConn game, Wilson was a dominant presence who always seemed to make the key plays in tight games.

Yep. I would've had the same top 5.

 

[UcMiami]

Interesting, and good fodder for some other team's bulletin board - Baylor for example.
So:
3 AAC (UConn) #5RPI (first team - 3)
3 Big12 (Maryland 2 and OSU 1) #6 RPI
2 Pac12 (WSU, OSU) #1 RPI (first team - 1)
1 ACC (ND) #3 RPI
1 SEC (SC) #2 RPI (first team - 1)
Zero Big12 which has the #4 RPI.

 

[UcMiami]

Maybe it's been being overly critical of A'ja, but while I think she is a very good player, she hasn't "wowed" me in any of the UConn games and even in the 10-12 other SC games I have watched (notably Tenn and Duke) she did not dominate. If anything, I think her rep got her on 1st team when I think Jones from MD deserved 1st team with A'ja getting 2nd team. Look, A'ja is a greater athlete with more upside than Brionna, I just think Brionna had a better year. I also don't think Wilson's game has evolved as much over her 3 years there.

I think she and Turner both remind me of Tina Charles pre her last month of her junior year - they can both for stretches of a game, and even occasionally for a whole game look like the best player in the country, but they can then almost disappear. They have yet to find that consistency that Tina finally discovered, or as they say in evaluating football players, they are not yet 'high motor' players.

 

[TDiNozzo]

Here's their list from November 2016...of best players...

After tallying the votes from Charlie Creme, Graham Hays and Mechelle Voepel, espnW counted down the best in the nation.

espnW's top 25 women's players for 2016-17

Kia was 7th... Lou 17th...

 

[UcMiami]

You raise an interesting question. Has UConn ever had 3 returning 1st team AA's?

Bria and Stef's senior season - Bria made AA first team in her sophomore season - then missed as a junior but KML and Dolson were first team AA, so senior year they had three.

 

[Scotter]

First time ever I believe. All were major standouts in one way or another, which must have made it hard to justify leaving one of the three on second. Well deserved to all, congratulations

That is something that I think is happening. People cannot separate Samuelson from Collier so it's both of them. And then most people cannot justify voting for them and leaving out Williams, especially when she was the star of both the Notre Dame and South Carolina games. There's always been a much clearer hierarchy when UConn has had 3 All-Americans in the past.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Bria and Stef's senior season - Bria made AA first team in her sophomore season - then missed as a junior but KML and Dolson were first team AA, so senior year they had three.

Thanks. I was trying to come up with that, given the number of AA selections in recent years. I knew we had Bria and Stef, but forgot about Kaleena. We also had Stewie and Kaleena and Stewie and Moriah. We would have had one this season if Morgan had stayed.

 

[SVCBeercats]

Well, I guess it's four Huskies if you count Plum...

There are "huskies" and then there are HUSKIES!

 

[MilfordHusky]

How many people actually vote for these ESPNW awards?

It's obviously a smaller group than the AP writers or WBCA coaches. I didn't find a list, but it's usually some or all of the following WCBB experts from ESPN:

Mechelle Voepel
Kate Fagan
Charlie Creme
Graham Hays
Rebecca Lobo
Kara Lawson

Note that Kelsey, Lou, and Pheesa were unanimous selections.

 

[LO TRADER]

Sydney Wiese...a bright light on the west coast, that you can see all the way from Connecticut.

 

[oldude]

Sydney Wiese...a bright light on the west coast, that you can see all the way from Connecticut.

She's got game. Unfortunately, not enough scoring punch from the rest of the team IMO.

 

[UcMiami]

Sydney Wiese...a bright light on the west coast, that you can see all the way from Connecticut.

She's got game. Unfortunately, not enough scoring punch from the rest of the team IMO.

I find it interesting that no one talks about her as a high draft pick. I think she has been well coached, is a really good three point shooter, and good tall defender, and understands a team game. She could be a really good pick-up for some team not in the lottery.