NEW YORK – Connecticut junior guard Christyn Williams was named the 2020-2021 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, as announced by the Conference on Thursday. Williams is the top returner for the preseason favorite Huskies, averaging 14.6 points over 32 games last year. Teammate Paige Bueckers was unanimously selected BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year, with Bueckers being the nation’s top-ranked recruit in the 2020 class.
In addition to the major awards, the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team was announced, highlighting 11 players across eight teams. UConn, DePaul and St. John’s each had two honorees, while Creighton, Marquette, Seton Hall, Villanova and Xavier each had one player selected. Preseason major awards and all-league honors are selected by the BIG EAST’s head coaches, who are not permitted to vote for their own players.
Williams started 31 of 32 games last year for the Huskies, averaging 14.6 points off .457 shooting while adding 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She reached the 20-point mark nine times in 2019-20, second-most among Huskies, and led UConn in scoring six times last season. The 5-11 junior guard was a first team All-AAC selection in 2019-20, and was voted to the 2020 AAC All-Tournament Team.
A 5-11 guard, Bueckers boasts an astounding list of accolades, including the nation’s No. 1 recruit by espnW, 2019-20 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year, 2020 All-American (McDonald’s, SLAM, Jordan Brand), 2019 USA Basketball Female Athlete of the Year, 2019 FBIA U19 World Cup MVP and a three-time Gatorade Minnesota Player of the Year. Bueckers averaged 21.0 points, 9.2 assists, 5.2 steals and 5.1 rebounds per game for Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minn., as a senior, guiding her team to a 30-0 record and the Class AAAA state championship game, which was canceled due to coronavirus.
In addition to a pair of major award winners, UConn saw Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Evina Westbrook honored as Preseason All-BIG EAST Team members. A junior forward, Nelson-Ododa was a second-team All-AAC selection in 2019-20, averaging 10.9 points, a team-high 8.5 rebounds and .552 shooting over 32 games. She totaled seven double-doubles on the year to rank second among Huskies. Westbrook is entering her first season with UConn after sitting out last year due to the NCAA transfer policy. The 6-0 redshirt-junior guard spent two seasons at Tennessee, averaging team highs of 14.9 points and 5.3 assists during her sophomore campaign in 2018-19.
DePaul junior guard Sonya Morris is one of five unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selections. Morris is coming off a breakout sophomore season, averaging 15.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 33 games. The 5-10 St. Louis native increased her scoring average by over 10 points per game from her freshman year. Morris is one of two Blue Demons on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, along with reigning BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player Lexi Held. A junior, Held averaged 21.3 points in the postseason to lead DePaul to its third consecutive BIG EAST Tourney title. For the year, the 5-10 guard averaged 15.4 points thanks to 2.4 made three-pointers per game, the second-highest average among BIG EAST players.
St. John’s also saw two players tabbed to the All-BIG EAST squad, including unanimous pick Qadashah Hoppie. Hoppie enters the 2020-21 season as the league’s active career leader in scoring with 1,179 points over 96 career games. The senior guard ranked eighth in BIG EAST play last year with a 15.9 scoring average, knocking down 2.7 triples per game to rank second in league games. Reigning BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year, Leilani Correa was also recognized this preseason. The sophomore guard ranked second on the Red Storm in scoring last season with a 12.7 clip, highlighted by three 30-point performances, second-most among BIG EAST players. Correa started just three of 30 games last year and ranked second on the team in scoring.
Marquette senior guard Selena Lott, Seton Hall senior guard/forward Desiree Elmore and Villanova sophomore forward Maddy Siegrist were also Preseason All-BIG EAST Team unanimous selections. Lott spearheaded the Golden Eagles to a second-place finish in 2019-20 after being slotted ninth in the preseason poll. Over 17 league games, the All-BIG EAST Second Team member averaged 15.0 points and 5.9 assists, the second-highest clip in the conference. Elmore is the Pirates’ top returning scorer after averaging 13.0 points over 31 games last year. She posted six double-doubles and reached the 20-point mark five times. Siegrist was unanimously selected BIG EAST Freshman of the Year in 2019-20, averaging 18.8 points over 31 games to go along with league highs of 11 double-doubles and 15 20-point games. She broke a plethora of Villanova rookie records, including points in a game with 41 at La Salle on Dec. 21.
Creighton senior guard Temi Carda and Xavier senior forward A’riana Gray round out the Preseason All-BIG EAST honorees. Carda is one of two Bluejays who started all 30 games last year and is Creighton’s top returning scorer, posting 12.9 points and .416 shooting in 2019-20. She reached the 20-point mark four times. Gray is the BIG EAST’s active career leader in rebounding (750) and double-doubles (26) while ranking second in career points (982). The senior averaged 15.8 points and a BIG EAST-high 9.3 rebounds in 2019-20, upping her scoring average in conference play to a 17.2 clip.
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Christyn Williams, Connecticut, Jr., G
BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year
Paige Bueckers, Connecticut, Fr., G*
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Connecticut, Jr., F
Evina Westbrook, Connecticut, R-Jr., G
Temi Carda, Creighton, Sr., G
Lexi Held, DePaul, Jr., G
Sonya Morris, DePaul, Jr., G*
Selena Lott, Marquette, Sr., G*
Leilani Correa, St. John’s, So., G
Qadashah Hoppie, St. John’s, Sr., G*
Desiree Elmore, Seton Hall, Sr., G/F*
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, So., F*
A’riana Gray, Xavier, Sr., F
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
*unanimous selection