Paige Bueckers named unanimous AP Preseason All-American

After becoming the first freshman ever to become the AP’s Player of the Year last season, Paige Bueckers is an unanimous preseason AP All-American. She is one of five players selected to the team alongside South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard and Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith.

Bueckers is coming off a historic freshman season in which she averaged 20 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds and en route to becoming the only first-year player ever to take home a national player of the year award. She claimed four of them: the AP and USBWA’s, the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy.

On top of that, Bueckers was also the third freshman to be named an AP First Team All-American, joining UConn legend Maya Moore and Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris. The USBWA, WBCA and Wooden Award also tapped Bueckers as an All-American last season.

Yesterday, Bueckers was selected to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list alongside 19 other players. The Hopkins, Minnesota native received the honor last season, which is given to the best point guard in Division I women’s basketball.

There have been no shortage of preseason accolades from Bueckers, who was also tabbed as the Big East Preseason Player of the Year.