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Lincoln – Kelsey Griffin was named the first Nebraska finalist in history for the Honda Sports Award for NCAA Division I women’s basketball, American Honda announced on Friday.
The Honda Sports Award honors the top women’s collegiate athlete in that sport, and the winners become eligible for the prestigious Honda-Broderick Cup awarded annually to the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.
Griffin, a 6-2 senior forward from Eagle River, Alaska, is joined by Connecticut senior Tina Charles, Connecticut junior Maya Moore, and Stanford sophomore Nnemkadi Ogwumike on the distinguished list of the top women’s basketball players in the nation. Connecticut’s Renee Montgomery won the award in 2009, and Moore was a finalist for the prestigious honor.
In honor of her selection, American Honda will donate $1,000 to the University of Nebraska scholarship fund. If she is chosen the winner of the award in nationwide balloting of NCAA senior women administrators, the University of Nebraska will receive $5,000 in Griffin’s honor.
The ballot will be sent April 8 and will close on April 13 at 7 p.m. (CT).
Griffin, Nebraska’s first Associated Press, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and Wooden First-Team All-American, earned 2010 Big 12 Player-of-the-Year honors after leading Nebraska to the best season in school history. Griffin averaged 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game while powering Nebraska to its first Big 12 title, first NCAA Sweet 16 appearance, first NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed and highest national ranking in school history. The Huskers finished with a 32-2 overall record that included a Big 12 record-tying 30-game winning streak and the league’s first unbeaten regular season (29-0).
Griffin, who finished her career with 2,033 points and 1,019 rebounds, ranked among the top 10 players nationally in field goal percentage and shattered Nebraska’s game, season and career free throw records. She also earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Defensive Team by notching 60 steals, 26 blocks and a remarkable 29 charges drawn.
Griffin is a three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection on the court and in the classroom. She is also a finalist for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, V Foundation Comeback Award and the National Consortium on Academics and Sport Giant Steps Courageous Student-Athlete Award.