A well deserved honor. Nobody was more clutch in bigger games against the nation's No. 1 RPI than Loyd. Here is the release from Notre Dame, with some edits from us:
On Friday junior guard Jewell Loyd[/B] (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West)was chosen as the 2014-15 espnW National Player of the Year by that outlet's panel of women's college basketball experts.
Loyd is the first Fighting Irish player to earn a national player-of-the-year award (not limited to a position or class year) since Ruth Riley in 2001. That season, Riley was chosen as the Associated Press National Player of the Year, Naismith Trophy recipient and Sports Illustrated National Player of the Year.
"In-season performance trumped preseason hype," espnW columnist Michelle Smith wrote. "The junior shooting guard came up big in the biggest games and led the Irish to another ACC title in one of the most competitive conferences in the country."
"I'm really at a loss for words," Loyd said. "I'm grateful to the espnW panel that chose me for this award, my teammates and coaches, who do all they can to push me and challenge me every day, and my family and friends, who are the rock and the foundation that give me the strength and the support to help me reach my goals."
"What a fitting and deserved award for an outstanding player and an even better person," said Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame's Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Women's Basketball Coach. "We've said since day one that we thought she was the best player in the country and she has certainly proven throughout the course of the entire season. She's done anything and everything we've asked of her, she makes everyone around her better, and she's a leader on and off the court. We couldn't be happier or prouder for Jewell, and we know there's still more to come from her."
Loyd previously was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and was a first-team all-ACC selection by both the Blue Ribbon Panel and conference coaches while earning All-ACC Defensive Team plaudits from the latter group.
Loyd has started all 33 games this season for the 31-2 and No. 2-ranked Irish, averaging career highs of 20.5 points and 3.1 assists per game, plus 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game with two double-doubles. She also leads the ACC with 18 20-point games this season (tied for second-most in school history), while her school-record four 30-point games also set the ACC standard.
Loyd ranks among the top 15 in the ACC in four statistical categories - scoring (1st - also 21st in nation), free-throw percentage (6th - career-best .825), assist/turnover ratio (11th - career-high 1.23) and assists (13th). In conference play, she finished fourth in the ACC in scoring (19.0 ppg.) and free-throw percentage (.829), as well as 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.16), 11th in assists (3.1 apg.) and 15th in steals (1.6 spg.).
Loyd, who ranks fourth on Notre Dame's single-season scoring list with 676 points and has scored in double figures in 75 of her last 76 games (32 of 33 this season), has been at her best when the stakes have been highest, averaging 24.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 11 games against Top 25 teams this season. In those 11 contests, she has scored at least 20 points nine times, including three 30-point outings - career-high and school record-tying 41 points at No. 25 DePaul on Dec. 10, 34 points vs. No. 5/6 Tennessee on Jan. 19 at Purcell Pavilion, and 31 points against No. 3 Connecticut on Dec. 6, also at Purcell Pavilion.
On Sunday, Loyd became the second Notre Dame player in program history to earn two conference tournament MVP awards, joining Krissi Davis who received the Midwestern Collegiate Conference/Horizon League Tournament MVP honors in 1989 and 1991. Loyd averaged 18.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in last weekend's three-game run to the ACC tournament title, highlighted by a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds in the semifinal win over No. 16 Duke on March 7, and a game-best 18 points and seven rebounds in Sunday's victory over No. 7/6 Florida State in the ACC championship game.
On Friday junior guard Jewell Loyd[/B] (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West)was chosen as the 2014-15 espnW National Player of the Year by that outlet's panel of women's college basketball experts.
Loyd is the first Fighting Irish player to earn a national player-of-the-year award (not limited to a position or class year) since Ruth Riley in 2001. That season, Riley was chosen as the Associated Press National Player of the Year, Naismith Trophy recipient and Sports Illustrated National Player of the Year.
"In-season performance trumped preseason hype," espnW columnist Michelle Smith wrote. "The junior shooting guard came up big in the biggest games and led the Irish to another ACC title in one of the most competitive conferences in the country."
"I'm really at a loss for words," Loyd said. "I'm grateful to the espnW panel that chose me for this award, my teammates and coaches, who do all they can to push me and challenge me every day, and my family and friends, who are the rock and the foundation that give me the strength and the support to help me reach my goals."
"What a fitting and deserved award for an outstanding player and an even better person," said Muffet McGraw, Notre Dame's Karen and Kevin Keyes Family Head Women's Basketball Coach. "We've said since day one that we thought she was the best player in the country and she has certainly proven throughout the course of the entire season. She's done anything and everything we've asked of her, she makes everyone around her better, and she's a leader on and off the court. We couldn't be happier or prouder for Jewell, and we know there's still more to come from her."
Loyd previously was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and was a first-team all-ACC selection by both the Blue Ribbon Panel and conference coaches while earning All-ACC Defensive Team plaudits from the latter group.
Loyd has started all 33 games this season for the 31-2 and No. 2-ranked Irish, averaging career highs of 20.5 points and 3.1 assists per game, plus 5.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game with two double-doubles. She also leads the ACC with 18 20-point games this season (tied for second-most in school history), while her school-record four 30-point games also set the ACC standard.
Loyd ranks among the top 15 in the ACC in four statistical categories - scoring (1st - also 21st in nation), free-throw percentage (6th - career-best .825), assist/turnover ratio (11th - career-high 1.23) and assists (13th). In conference play, she finished fourth in the ACC in scoring (19.0 ppg.) and free-throw percentage (.829), as well as 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.16), 11th in assists (3.1 apg.) and 15th in steals (1.6 spg.).
Loyd, who ranks fourth on Notre Dame's single-season scoring list with 676 points and has scored in double figures in 75 of her last 76 games (32 of 33 this season), has been at her best when the stakes have been highest, averaging 24.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 11 games against Top 25 teams this season. In those 11 contests, she has scored at least 20 points nine times, including three 30-point outings - career-high and school record-tying 41 points at No. 25 DePaul on Dec. 10, 34 points vs. No. 5/6 Tennessee on Jan. 19 at Purcell Pavilion, and 31 points against No. 3 Connecticut on Dec. 6, also at Purcell Pavilion.
On Sunday, Loyd became the second Notre Dame player in program history to earn two conference tournament MVP awards, joining Krissi Davis who received the Midwestern Collegiate Conference/Horizon League Tournament MVP honors in 1989 and 1991. Loyd averaged 18.3 points and 7.7 rebounds in last weekend's three-game run to the ACC tournament title, highlighted by a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds in the semifinal win over No. 16 Duke on March 7, and a game-best 18 points and seven rebounds in Sunday's victory over No. 7/6 Florida State in the ACC championship game.
