We interrupt your regularly scheduled Sweet 16 viewing to tell you a little something about UConn recruit Christyn Williams.
On Saturday, the 5-foot-11 guard at Central Arkansas Christian (Little Rock) was named Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year. WNBA star Elena Delle Donne surprised her with the news and the trophy.
Why, you might ask, is winning arguably the most prestigious high school award a "little something" about Christyn Williams?
It's quantity, not quality.
For Williams, the Gatorade national award follows the Morgan Wootten player of the year award, which followed a state championship, which followed the Naismith player of the year award, which followed the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's high school player of the year award. All of that came after she was named a McDonald's All American, which came after she signed with Connecticut.
We could detail the three Gatorade state player of the year awards she's won, and all the USA Basketball medals she won before that, but you get the picture.
"It's been crazy these past few weeks," Williams said Saturday. "I'm still in shock. I'm very grateful. It's so exciting."
So that's a wrap for her awards, right?
"Well, I leave tomorrow for the McDonald's game," she said. "And I want to get MVP for the game."
Senior Charli Collier, the Texas state player of the year and a Texas Longhorns signee, and junior Samantha Brunelle, the undeclared Virginia player of the year, were the other finalists for Gatorade's national player of the year.
Williams, who averaged 26.8 points and 10.4 rebounds as a senior, is the second straight UConn recruit to win the award, following Huskies freshman Megan Walker. Other current and former Huskies to win the award include Katie Lou Samuelson (2015), Breanna Stewart (2012), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (2011), Maya Moore (2007) and Tina Charles (2006).
