Women's Basketball Tabbed Preseason No. 1 by Women's Basketball News Service

Bird Named Co-Preseason Player of the Year

FOREST HILLS, NY (Sept. 10, 2001) - For the second straight year the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team sits atop the preseason polls. UConn is ranked No. 1 in the Women’s Basketball News Service’s preseason poll, which was released on Monday. Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Texas Tech round out the top five, respectively.

Senior point guard Sue Bird (Syosset, NY), two-time winner of the Nancy Lieberman-Cline National Point Guard of the Year, was named Co-Preseason Player of the Year with Stacey Dales of Oklahoma. Bird averaged 10.9 points and dished out 169 assists en route to All-America status in 2000-2001.

Husky sophomore guard Diana Taurasi (Chino, CA) joins Bird on the Preseason All-America First Team. The 2001 BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Taurasi averaged 10.9 points and finished second in the league in three-pointers (71) her freshman year. UConn is the only school with two players on the Preseason All-America First Team.

In total, four Huskies were represented on the Preseason All-America Teams. Senior forward Swin Cash (McKeesport, PA), who registered 12.2 ppg and 7.5 rpg in 2000-2001, was selected as a Preseason All-America Second Team member. Senior forward Tamika Williams (Dayton, OH) received honorable mention status.

Connecticut begins its season on November 9 when they face Fairfield in the first round of the Preseason WNIT.