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UConn sophomore guard Nika Mühl wins Big East Defense Player of the Year

Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Christyn Williams made All-Big East First Team and Caroline Ducharme made All-Big East Second Team.

Credit: AP Photo/Jessica Hill

Connecticut's Nika Mühl in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

STORRS, Connecticut — UConn women's basketball sophomore guard Nika Mühl was voted Big East Defensive Player of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday.

Mühl averaged 2.2 steals per game, which was second in the Big East and 0.6 blocks per game. She also contributed 4.3 points per game, starting in 16 of UConn's 24 total games.

Credit: AP Photo/Jessica Hill

Connecticut's Nika Mühl, right, pressures Providence's Nariah Scott in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

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Mühl was a major contributor to UConn's exemplary defensive performance all season as they allowed a Big East best 50.8 points per game from their opponents.

Villanova's junior forward Maddy Siegrist won Big East Player of the Year. Villanova's Denise Dillon also took Big East Coach of the Year.

UConn's senior forward Olivia Nelson-Ododa and senior guard Christyn Williams made All-Big East First Team.

Nelson-Ododa averaged 10 points and 7.6 rebounds per game on the season and Williams averaged 14.9 points per game with a team-high 34.8 minutes per game played.

UConn's Christyn Williams and Olivia Nelson-Ododa

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AP Photo/Jessica Hill

Connecticut's Christyn Williams holds up her jersey during senior day ceremonies in before an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Freshman guard Caroline Ducharme made All-Big East Second Team. Ducharme averaged 12 points on 46% shooting, 1.5 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game.

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Ducharme also made the All-Big East Freshman team alongside her teammate freshman guard Azzi Fudd.

Fudd's season has been shorter than expected only playing in 16 games due to her early-season foot injury, but her 13.2 points per game with a team-high 93% from free throw line was good enough to grant her this honor.

Credit: AP Photo/Jessica Hill

Connecticut's Azzi Fudd and Connecticut's Caroline Ducharme, right, in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

A notable exemption from this list was sophomore guard Paige Bueckers, but her injury disqualified her from an award this year as she only was able to play in eight games.

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Now, the UConn women will be gearing up for Saturday, where they will be the one seed in the Big East tournament. Their opponent has not been determined yet.

Daniel Dashefsky is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at ddashefsky@fox61.com.

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