NEW YORK – UConn’s Paige Bueckers added another accolade to her growing list as the sophomore guard was the unanimous choice for BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year. Teammate Azzi Fudd was also an uncontested pick as BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. In addition to the major awards, a 10-member Preseason All-BIG EAST Team was announced. 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.
 
Bueckers made history in 2020-21, as the first freshman to win the Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy, AP National Player of the Year, USBWA National Player of the Year and Lieberman Award. She was named the 2021 BIG EAST Player and Freshman of the Year and the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Bueckers led UConn with 20.0 points, 5.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game as well as a 46.4 three-point field goal percentage. She set BIG EAST freshman records for total field goals made (128), season three-point percentage (.500) and single-game assists (14).
 
Fudd is the Huskies’ second top-ranked recruit in as many seasons. The 5-11 guard from Arlington, Va., is a 2021 McDonald’s All-American, a three-time Gatorade Washington, D.C., Player of the Year, 2019 Gatorade National Player of the Year and a USA Today All-American, among many other accomplishments. She won a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup, 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup and 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.
 
UConn also saw three selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, including unanimous choice Christyn Williams. The senior guard listed second on the Huskies in scoring last season at 16.3 points per game, earning All-BIG EAST First Team honors. Senior forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa ranked second in the BIG EAST in double-doubles with seven, all coming against conference competition. She was third on UConn with 12.0 points per game, while grabbing a team-high 7.8 rebounds per contest. Reigning BIG EAST Sixth-Woman of the Year Aaliyah Edwards was also named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. During her rookie campaign, Edwards averaged 10.7 points and 5.7 rebounds. She played for Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and was the youngest member of the team.
 
After earning spots on the 20-21 All-BIG EAST First Team, DePaul senior guards Sonya Morris and Lexi Held were voted to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. Morris led the Blue Demons in scoring last season with a 19.3 average to rank third in the BIG EAST, while her 18.0 league clip listed fourth. She was a unanimous preseason selection. Held is the reigning BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year and is the BIG EAST’s active points leader with nearly 700 points over 50 conference contests. She ranked eighth in both overall scoring (16.6) and in BIG EAST play (17.3), while leading the conference in steals with more than three per game.
 
BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award winner and Second Team honoree Lauren Van Kleunen had her best season in a Marquette uniform in 20-21, posting career-best marks in scoring (13.2 overall, 12.8 in BIG EAST) and field goal percentage (.514, .530). The graduate student forward will be playing her fifth season in 2021-22.
 
St. John’s junior guard Leilani Correa reached the 30-point mark five times last season to finish fifth in the conference in scoring with a 17.6 average. The All-BIG EAST First Team pick added 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. Correa was a unanimous selection to the preseason squad.
 
After earning All-BIG EAST First Team recognition last season, Seton Hall graduate student guard/forward Andra Espinoza-Hunter and junior guard Lauren Park-Lane were named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST squad. Espinoza-Hunter finished third in the conference in scoring with an 18.6 average over 16 league contests, making a league-high 3.1 three-pointers per game. Park-Lane, a unanimous preseason pick, was voted BIG EAST Most Improved Player this past March after nearly tripling her scoring average from her rookie season. The 5-6 guard finished fifth in league play in scoring at 17.9 points per game.
 
Villanova junior forward Maddy Siegrist led the BIG EAST in scoring (22.8), rebounding (9.8) and double-doubles (13) in 2020-21. She was a unanimous choice to the All-BIG EAST First Team as a sophomore and was an uncontested preseason pick this fall. At 23.1 points per game in BIG EAST play, she is the first Villanova player to win the scoring title since Trish Juhline in 2002-03.
 
BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year
Paige Bueckers, UConn, So., G*
 
BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year
Azzi Fudd, UConn, Fr., G*
 
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Christyn Williams, UConn, Sr., G*
Olivia Nelson-Ododa, UConn, Sr., F
Aailyah Edwards, UConn, So., F
Sonya Morris, DePaul, Sr., G*
Lexi Held, DePaul, Sr., G
Lauren Van Kleunen, Marquette, Grad., F
Leilani Correa, St. John’s, Jr., G*
Andra Espinoza-Hunter, Seton Hall, Grad., G/F
Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall, Jr., G*
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova, Jr., F*
*unanimous selection