Tipping off the 2011-12 season

Skylar Diggins
Notre Dame
Jr. | G | 5-9 

Key Notes:
• 2011 All-American
• 2011 national championship runner-up
• Averaged 15 ppg and 4.8 apg last season

Shenise Johnson
Miami
Sr. | G | 5-11 

Key Notes:
• 2011 All-American
• 2011 ACC Player of the Year
• First in the ACC in free throw percentage (.846) in 2010-11

Shekinna Stricklen
Tennessee
Sr. | G/F | 6-2 

Key Notes:
• 2011 All-American
• Averaged 12.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 2.8 apg in 2010-11
• Named the SEC Player of the Year last season

Tiffany Hayes
Connecticut
Sr. | G | 5-10 

Key Notes:
• All-Big East First Team in 2010-11
• Had 116 assists, 52 steals and averaged 13.7 ppg and 4.6 rpg last season
 

Sugar Rodgers
Georgetown
Jr. | G | 5-11

Key Notes:
• Averaged 18.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.4 apg and had 90 steals in 2010-11 
• Ranked second in Big East in ppg last season
 

Brittney Griner
Baylor
Jr. | F | 6-8

Key Notes:
• 2011 All-American
• Enters season with 40 consecutive double-figure scoring games
• Named 2011 Defensive Player of the Year

Nneka Ogwumike
Stanford
Sr. | F | 6-2 

Key Notes:
• 2011 All-American
• Named to 2011 All-Pac-10 Team
• Led team with 17.5 ppg
• 2011 Wade Trophy finalist

Monique Reid
Louisville
Sr. | F | 6-1

Key Notes:
• 2012 Lowe’s Senior Class Award  candidate
• Led Cardinals in scoring last season with 15.5 ppg
• 2011 First Team All-Big East 

Cierra Bravard
Florida State
Sr. | F | 6-4

Key Notes:
• Led team in scoring (15.0 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg) in 2010-11
• 2010-11 field-goal percentage ranked third in the conference 

Keisha Hampton
DePaul
Sr. | F | 6-2 

Key Notes:
• Earned All-Big East Championship team honors
• Finished junior season with 1,375 career points which ranks 14th all-time at DePaul

Geno Auriemma
Connecticut
On losing Maya Moore and the upcoming season:

“We’re not fortunate to have a retuning All-American. We’re going to have to figure out as a group what we can do as a team rather than relying on the experience or talent level of an All-American. Having so many underclassmen in key roles will be a huge challenge. There are going to be times when it’s not going to look great and times when it looks really good. That’s the beauty of college basketball and college athletics. You always have new kids that you are trying to blend in with the older kids and you see what happens.” 

Pat Summitt
Tennessee
On the Lady Vols tough schedule:

“That’s a good thing. Because I think, with this team, we have high expectations and we’ve got good leadership and as I’ve said, even our freshmen are stepping in right away. I’m really excited about this team and I know our staff is, so I think they are on a mission. Coaches are always on a mission but if you have players with the right mindset it goes a long way.”

Gary Blair
Texas A&M
On defending their national title:

“We’re looking forward to defending the national championship. You don’t talk about winning another one until you defend it the way a champion should. And I think that’s our goal this year. Our kids are practicing hard. We’re relatively healthy right now. But the most important thing, I haven’t defended a whole lot of national championships before. But at the same time you feel good about yourself, you feel good about your accomplishments, but soon as you sit back and reflect on it, somebody’s going to kick you in the butt and pass you by. 

Kim Mulkey
Baylor
On motivation after falling early in tournament last season:

“I think when you have a goal to win a national championship and you don’t reach that goal, that if you’re any kind of a competitor, the hunger should be there. And it’s there. Fortunately, we have the majority of our players back with the exception of the two seniors that we lost, which we all know the value of a Melissa Jones, you don’t just replace her overnight. But I don’t imagine that I’m going to have to do a lot of motivating to remind them that isn’t it sad that a 34-3 record is not good enough.”