2015-16 Senior CLASS Award winners announced

Three-time first-team AP All-American Breanna Stewart of the University of Connecticut has been selected as the 2015-16 Senior CLASS Award winner in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.

The award, chosen by a nationwide vote of Division I women’s basketball coaches, national basketball media and fans, is given annually to the most outstanding senior student-athlete in Division I women’s basketball. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: classroom, community, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

“Being recognized as the Senior CLASS Award winner is an unbelievable honor because it highlights more than just my on-the-court skills,” said Stewart, a two-time consensus national player of the year who is on the verge of history if she and the Huskies can take their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament title next week in Indianapolis. “Since I arrived on campus, I’ve grown in a number of ways, but the biggest one is finding the joy and satisfaction in helping others, whether it is my teammates or people I don’t know through various community service activities. Beyond UConn and beyond basketball, I hope one day to create my own non-profit organization, and the Senior CLASS Award is a tremendous milestone and an indication that I’m headed in the right direction.”

Stewart has led the Huskies to three National Titles and, in the process, became the first player in NCAA history to earn three Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. This season, she led the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots while surpassing Rebecca Lobo for the most blocked shots in program history and becoming the first women’s NCAA Division I player with at least 400 assists and 400 blocked shots. Her status as a three-time first-team AP All-American has only been achieved by five others in NCAA history.

Women’s Basketball 2015-16 Winner

Name	Position	School
Breanna Stewart	Forward	University of Connecticut

First Team

Name	Position	School
Ruth Hamblin	Center	Oregon State
Moriah Jefferson	Guard	University of Connecticut
Kelsey Minato	Guard	Army West Point
Tiffany Mitchell	Guard	University of South Carolina

Second Team

Name	Position	School
Jillian Alleyne	Forward	Oregon
Adut Bulgak	Center	Florida State University
Aundrea Gamble	Guard	Arkansas State
Bria Holmes	Guard	West Virginia University
Jonquel Jones	Forward	George Washington University