UCLA’s Quinn Gets Conference Honors

UCLA forward Noelle Quinn is the Pacific 10 Conference freshman of the year, and is joined by teammate Nikki Blue on the All-Pac-10 team as voted on by the conference coaches.

Also selected to the team was USC forward Ebony Hoffman, the third such honor for the senior. Blue, a sophomore guard, was chosen for the second time.

Quinn is the fourth Bruin to earn freshman-of-the-year honors, and the first since Maylana Martin in 1996-97. Quinn was fifth in the conference in scoring (16.0) and seventh in rebounding (7.5). She was the only player to record a triple-double in the regular season, with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 97-69 victory over California on Feb. 15.

Blue’s 14.5 points a game in conference play represented a slight dip from last season when she averaged 16.9. But she was third in assists (4.96) and second in steals (3.07). She was one of two Pac-10 players to average three or more steals a game.

Hoffman ranked seventh in scoring (15.0) and third in rebounding (8.2) in the Pac-10, and led USC with nine double-doubles.

Stanford senior forward Nicole Powell, who helped the Cardinal win a fourth straight regular-season Pac-10 championship, was chosen the conference player of the year. Powell ranked second in scoring (20.1) and first in rebounding (11.4) in conference play. She is the fourth player to be a four-time All-Pac-10 selection.

California’s Caren Horstmeyer was chosen coach of the year.