Three BIG EAST women’s basketball players have been selected to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 20 list, as announced by The Los Angeles Athletic Club. Connecticut senior Maya Moore, the 2009 winner of the award, was joined by league stars Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame and Sugar Rodgers of Georgetown.
Moore, also a 2008 and 2010 Wooden Award All American, is looking to become only the second four-time Wooden Award All American, after Courtney Paris of Oklahoma accomplished the feat from 2006-09. This season, Moore is averaging 23.9 points (No. 4 nationally), 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.5 steals, including a career-high 41 points in the Huskies’ record-breaking 89th straight win last month.
Diggins is averaging 13.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds for the Irish. She was a Preseason All-BIG EAST team selection this year, after earning All-BIG EAST Second Team honors as a freshman. Diggins has started all 17 games for the Irish and scored a season-high 22 points against UCLA on Nov. 18.
Rodgers leads the Hoyas, averaging 19.0 points, along with 5.3 rebounds. She also has made 41 3-pointers, totaled 40 steals and 40 assists. Rodgers was a Preseason All-BIG EAST team selection this year, after earning All-BIG EAST First Team accolades as a rookie. She also was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Year last season. Rodgers has started all 17 games for the Hoyas, including a 28-point effort in a 75-54 win against Clemson on Dec. 30.
Diggins and Rodgers are two of the three sophomores on the list. Baylor’s Brittany Griner is the other.
The John R. Wooden Award All American Team will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round during the NCAA Tournament, making it unique among college postseason awards. Transfers, freshmen and medical redshirts are eligible for this midseason list but did not appear on the preseason Top 30. All players nationally who excel throughout the season will be evaluated and considered for the official voting ballot released in March. The National Ballot consists of approximately 20 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
An unprecedented nine players from the 2010 Wooden Award ballot return to the midseason list in 2011.
|
Name
|
Height
|
Class
|
Pos.
|
University
|
Conference
|
|
Danielle Adams
|
6-1
|
Sr.
|
F/C
|
Texas A&M
|
Big 12
|
|
Kachine Alexander
|
5-9
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Iowa
|
Big Ten
|
|
Angie Bjorklund
|
6-0
|
Sr.
|
G/F
|
Tennessee
|
SEC
|
|
Jessica Breland
|
6-3
|
Sr.
|
F
|
North Carolina
|
ACC
|
|
Skylar Diggins
|
5-9
|
So.
|
G
|
Notre Dame
|
Big East
|
|
Jasmine Dixon
|
6-0
|
Jr.
|
G
|
UCLA
|
Pac-10
|
|
Victoria Dunlap
|
6-1
|
Sr.
|
F
|
Kentucky
|
SEC
|
|
Dawn Evans *
|
5-7
|
Sr.
|
G
|
James Madison
|
CAA
|
|
Brittney Griner
|
6-8
|
So.
|
C
|
Baylor
|
Big 12
|
|
Amber Harris *
|
6-5
|
Sr.
|
F
|
Xavier
|
A10
|
|
Shenise Johnson
|
5-11
|
Jr.
|
F
|
Miami
|
ACC
|
|
Jantel Lavender *
|
6-4
|
Sr.
|
C
|
Ohio State
|
Big Ten
|
|
Italee Lucas
|
5-8
|
Sr.
|
G
|
North Carolina
|
ACC
|
|
Maya Moore $#*
|
6-0
|
Sr.
|
F
|
Connecticut
|
Big East
|
|
Nnemkadi Ogwumike $*
|
6-2
|
Jr.
|
F
|
Stanford
|
Pac-10
|
|
Kayla Pedersen *
|
6-4
|
Jr.
|
F
|
Stanford
|
Pac-10
|
|
Danielle Robinson *
|
5-9
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Oklahoma
|
Big 12
|
|
Sugar Rodgers
|
5-11
|
So.
|
G
|
Georgetown
|
Big East
|
|
Jasmine Thomas *
|
5-9
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Duke
|
ACC
|
|
Courtney Vandersloot *
|
5-8
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Gonzaga
|
WCC
|
(Players listed alphabetically.)
*indicates player chosen to the 2010 Wooden Award ballot
$ Indicates 2010 Wooden Award All American
# Indicates 2009 Wooden Award winner
