Oregon Ducks Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard Earn National Awards
Oregon Ducks Sabrina Ionescu, Ruthy Hebard Receive National Honors
While the Oregon Ducks season ended earlier this week against Notre Dame in Spokane, the accomplishments of the 2017-18 team are still being recognized. Sophomores Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard guided the Oregon Ducks to the Elite 8 over the past two seasons, coming up short against Connecticut and Notre Dame.
Both players have been named to the Naismith Starting Five. An honor voted on by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Oregon is the only school with two players represented with the honor.
Sabrina Ionescu was named Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year.
Ionescu capped off her Sophomore Season with her 10th Career Triple Double and was also named a First Team All-American, the first player in school history to receive the honor among others. She led the Pac-12 in scoring and assists this past season. Ionescu has eight triple-double performances in 2017-18, the most recent coming against Seattle in the NCAA Tournament.
Ruthy Hebard was named Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year.
Hebard was a beast inside for the Oregon Ducks all season putting up 40 points per game in back to back Pac-12 contests. She had 14 double-doubles this season and broke the mark for both Men’s and Women’s College Basketball for consecutive baskets with 33 over a four-game span.
Rounding out the Starting Five were Victoria Vivians from Mississippi State, Gabby Williams from Connecticut, and A’ja Wilson from South Carolina.
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The Naismith Starting Five was announced on Friday before the start of the Final Four.