Three UConn Women’s Basketball Players Named AP All-Americans

The UConn women’s basketball team is well-represented on the AP’s All-American teams as Katie Lou Samuelson, Gabby Williams and Napheesa Collier were named to the first, second and third teams, respectively, while Kia Nurse earned honorable mention.

Samuelson is the Huskies’ top scoring option, notching 17.5 points per game while also shooting .468 from behind the arc, tops on the team. She earned AAC Player of the Year and is in contention for the National Player of the Year award despite missing five games with injury early in the season.

Williams received high praise recently, as ESPN analyst Jay Bilas called her the “most compete player” in men’s or women’s college basketball while Duke coach Joanne P. McCallie compared the senior to “Maya Moore without the outside shot.” Williams does it all for UConn, averaging 10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game in 34 games this season.

Collier started the season slow but ended strong, finishing second on the team with 15.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while also dishing out 3.3 assists per game. She has especially come on in March, leading the team in the last two NCAA Tournament games while averaging 21.3 points per game.

Meanwhile, Nurse is one of the most underrated factors in the Huskies’ success despite only making honorable mention. She is the team’s top perimeter defender and routinely locks down the opposing team’s top guard. Nurse is also a prolific shooter, hitting 44.4 percent of her three pointers. In November, she broke the school record by hitting 13-consecutive threes over a three game span.

Former UConn center Natalie Butler also earned honorable mention. She transferred to George Mason after last season and flourished in the A10, leading the country in both rebounds and double-doubles while also setting the school record for rebounds in a single season. She averaged 19.2 points and 16.6 rebounds per game in 34 games for the Patriots.