Bird, Oldfield Are Honored

Sue Bird, the cool, clever point guard who has helped bring Connecticut within two games of a perfect season, was honored Thursday as the Associated Press player of the year in women’s basketball

Brenda Oldfield was picked as coach of the year after leading a remarkable turnaround in her first year at Minnesota, which had its first winning season since 1993-94.

Bird, a senior, was an overwhelming choice by the 44-member national media panel that votes in the AP poll. Oldfield edged Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, a three-time winner, for the coaching award.

In the three full seasons Bird played, Connecticut reached the Final Four every year. In her one season cut short by a torn knee ligament, the Huskies were eliminated in the regional semifinals.

Connecticut has lost only nine games since Bird joined the team. Five of those losses came when she was out of the lineup.

This is the fourth time a Connecticut player has been the AP player of the year, an award that started in 1995. Rebecca Lobo won it that year and was followed by Connecticut’s Jennifer Rizzotti in 1996 and Kara Wolters in 1997.