LOS ANGELES -- 2016 UConn graduate Breanna Stewart (North Syracuse, N.Y.) was named the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and presented with the prestigious Honda Cup as announced by Steve Morikawa, Vice President, Corporate Community Relations, American Honda. The award was presented live during the Collegiate Women Sports Awards show presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network, at the USC Founders Club at Galen Center in Los Angeles.
The “Top Three” finalists from the Class of 2016 included Stewart along with senior softball standout Sierra Romero of the University of Michigan and senior soccer star Raquel Rodriguez from Penn State University.
The “Top Three” were selected by a voting of nearly 1,000 NCAA member schools and the Honda Cup winner was chosen by the Board of Directors of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) program.
Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin was the 2015 Honda Cup winner and previous winners include basketball superstars Maya Moore (2011, 2012) and Candace Parker (2008), track and field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee (1985), soccer great Mia Hamm (1994) and volleyball star Misty May (1999).
Stewart is the fifth Honda Cup winner from UConn, giving UConn the most Honda Cup winners overall in the 40 year history of the awards program. All four previous Honda Cup winners from UConn have come in the sport of basketball: Maya Moore (2010 & 2011), Jennifer Rizzotti (1996) and Rebecca Lobo (1995).
Stewart led her team to an unprecedented fourth straight national championship and is the first player in history to earn four Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors.
She swept the 2016 national player of the year honors and is a two-time winner of the Wooden Award. She is also a three-time winner of the Naismith Trophy (Atlanta Tip-Off Club), Associated Press Player of the Year Award and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (USBWA) while also winning the Wade Trophy (WBCA) in each of the last two seasons.
Stewart swept the 2016 national player of the year honors and is a two-time winner of the Wooden Award. She is also a three-time winner of the Naismith Trophy (Atlanta Tip-Off Club), Associated Press Player of the Year Award and the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (USBWA). The North Syracuse, N.Y. native has also won the Wade Trophy (WBCA) in each of the last two season.
Stewart, who also won the Senior CLASS Award in 2016, finished her career as UConn's all-time leader with 414 career blocked shots and is second on the Huskies' all-time scoring list with 2,676 points.
On Dec. 9 Stewart became the only player in NCAA history to reach 300 career blocks and 300 career assists. She is also the seventh NCAA Division I women's player with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 200 blocks. She became the first player in NCAA history to be selected as the Final Four Most Outstanding Player four times. No other player has earned more than two Final Four MOP honors.
Along with Moriah Jefferson and Tuck, Stewart led the Huskies to four-straight national championships, six conference championships and a record 151 wins over the last four seasons. The trio led the Huskies to their record ninth-straight Final Four in 2015-16 and propelled UConn to 24-straight NCAA Tournament wins, surpassing the previous record of 21-consecutive NCAA Tournament victories which was held by Tennessee since 1999.
“On this special 40th year milestone for the CWSA we congratulate Breanna and welcome her into the elite company of those who have held the Honda Cup for the past 39 years - truly the ‘best of the best " in collegiate athletics!“ stated Chris Voelz, Executive Director of the CWSA.
In addition the to the announcement of the Honda Cup winner as the Collegiate Woman of the Year, the broadcast also featured the presentation of the Honda Inspiration award to Emily Fogle (Purdue, Swimming & Diving), the Honda Division II Athlete of the Year to Emily Oren (Hillsdale, Track & Field) and the Honda Division III Athlete of the Year Sydney Moss (Thomas More, Basketball).
The CWSA, celebrating its 40th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes recognizing superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.0 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs at the institutions.
