Senior guard Renee Montgomery, junior center Tina Charles and sophomore forward Maya Moore were among the 30 players named as preseason Wooden Award candidates.

Here is the complete release I just received from UConn


STORRS, Conn. (November 6, 2008) -- The University of Connecticut women’s basketball is the only team in the nation to have three players named among the 2008-09 preseason candidates for the Women’s Wooden Award All-America Team and Player of the Year, which were announced late Wednesday.

Representing the Huskies on the 30-player list are senior Renee Montgomery (St. Albans, W. Va.), junior Tina Charles (Jamaica, N.Y.) and sophomore Maya Moore (Lawrenceville, Ga.).

Joining Connecticut with multiple players selected were Maryland (Toliver and Marissa Coleman), California (Devanei Hampton, Ashley Walker) and Rutgers (Prince, Kia Vaughn), each of which had two players named to the list.

UConn has had a total of two players named to the Wooden All-America Team as Moore was named to the five-member squad in 2008 and Diana Taurasi in 2004, which was the inaugural season in which a team was chosen for women’s basketball.

In mid-January, the Wooden Award Committee will release the Midseason Top 20 list, followed in March by the National Ballot, consisting of approximately 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The Women's Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round during the NCAA Tournament.

The 33rd annual Wooden Award ceremony, which will include the announcement of the Men's and Women's Wooden Award, and the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American Teams and the Legends of Coaching Award to Rick Barnes from The University of Texas, will be held at The Los Angeles Athletic Club in April, 2009.

2008-09 Wooden Award Preseason Top-30 List


Jessica Adair 6-4 C/F Sr. George Washington
Jayne Appel 6-4 F/C Jr. Stanford
Chante Black 6-5 F/C Sr. Duke
DeWanna Bonner 6-4 G Sr. Auburn
Heather Bowman 6-2 F Jr. Gonzaga
Tina Charles 6-4 C Jr. Connecticut
Marissa Coleman 6-1 G/F Sr. Maryland
Allyssa DeHaan 6-9 C Jr. Michigan State
Krystal Ellis 5-9 G Sr. Marquette
Rachele Fitz 6-0 F Jr. Marist
Devanei Hampton 6-3 F/C Sr. Cal
Ashley Houts 5-6 G Jr. Georgia
Jareica Hughes 5-3 G Jr. UTEP
Jantel Lavender 6-4 C So. Ohio State
Shalee Lehning 5-9 G Sr. Kansas State
Rashanda McCants 6-1 G/F Sr. North Carolina
Angel McCoughtry 6-1 F Sr. Louisville
Renee Montgomery 5-7 G Sr. Connecticut
Maya Moore * 6-0 F So. Connecticut
Courtney Paris * ^ ~ 6-4 C Sr. Oklahoma
Ta'Shia Phillips 6-6 C So. Xavier
Epiphanny Prince 5-9 G Jr. Rutgers
Andrea Riley 5-5 G Jr. Oklahoma State
Takia Starks 5-8 G Sr. Texas A&M
Kristi Toliver 5-7 G Sr. Maryland
Kia Vaughn 6-4 C Sr. Rutgers
Ashley Walker 6-1 F Sr. California
Christina Wirth 6-1 F Sr. Vanderbilt
Monica Wright 5-11 G Jr. Virginia
Shavonte Zellous 5-11 G Sr. Pittsburgh

* Indicates player was a 2007-2008 John R. Wooden Award All-American.
^ Indicates player was a 2006-2007 John R. Wooden Award All-American.
~ Indicates player was a 2005-2006 John R. Wooden Award All-American.