March 5, 2021
Get ready for the Big East Tournament
Plus a rundown of conference regular season honors
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It’s BIG EAST Tourney Time
The field is set! The #BETourney kicks off today and as expected UConn grabbed the top seed. What’s more, Anna Makurat is set to make her return!
Perhaps a bit unexpected is DePaul’s slide to the fourth seed behind both Marquette and Seton Hall. The Pirates were one of the teams heavily impacted by COVID early in the season, so it’s good to see them rally back.
Right behind Seton Hall is Villanova, the final team to earn a bid into the quarterfinals. Teams 6-11 will battle it out today in hopes of playing again tomorrow.
The Roundup
Must-read stories throughout the BIG EAST
Maddy Siegrist named a top five finalists for the 2021 Katrina McClain Award.
UConn putting its faith in NCAA Covid protocols ahead of National Tournament.
Val Ackerman joins the Sports Innovation Lab Women’s Leadership Board.
Auriemma named a semifinalists for Werner Ladder Naismith Trophy Women’s Coach of the Year.
Paige Bueckers named a semifinalist for Naismith Women’s Player of the Year.
And the Winners are …
As the season comes to a close, that means it is also time to honor the best of the BEleven.
BIG EAST Player of the Year & BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Paige Bueckers, UConn, Fr., G
Bueckers was voted Freshman of the Year unanimously, becoming only the second player in BIG EAST history to do so. The other, oh, just someone named Maya Moore, wonder what ever became of her?
You have to think Maddy Siegrist from Villanova was in the running for Player of the Year as well. UConn teammate Aaliyah Edwards was the only other unanimous selection to the All-Freshman team.
BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Geno Auriemma, UConn
Auriemma took home BE Coach of the Year for the 11th time.
BIG EAST Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn, Jr., F & Selena Lott, Marquette, Sr., G
BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall, So., G
An improvement of roughly 10 ppg earned Park-Lane Most Improved Player and helped boost Seton Hall to a Top-4 finish.
BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn, Fr., F
What a season for the Canadian National Team youngster! She is definitely a player to watch over the next several BIG EAST seasons.
BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Lauren Van Kleunen, Marquette, R-Sr., F
BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Lexi Held, DePaul, Jr., G
All-BIG EAST First Team
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn, Jr., F
Temi Carda, Creighton, Sr., G
Lauren Van Kleunen, Marquette, R-Sr., F
Mary Baskerville, Providence, Jr., F
Brianna Herlihy, Villanova, Sr., F
All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Dee Bekelja, DePaul, Sr., G
Camryn Taylor, Marquette, So., F
BIG EAST All-Freshman Team
Paige Bueckers, UConn, Fr., G*
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn, Fr., F*
Emma Ronsiek, Creighton, Fr., F
Darrione Rogers, DePaul, Fr., G
Kelsey Ransom, Georgetown, Fr., G
*unanimous selection
Well written article