Jaci Daigneault had just finished autographing some memorabilia at the request of the WBCA officials. Her next stop was a brief photo shoot.

The former Guilford High star who led Amherst College to the Division III title as was named the Division III national player of the year, was in for a bit of a surprise when one of the women's basketball icons stepped into the holding area where the winners at Monday night's WBCA annual awards dinner came to meet with the media.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma headed right over to Daigneault and sounds almost like a proud dad as he sang the virtues of Daigneault's accomplishments and told anybody who would listen that "see, we don't just win at the Division I level at Connecticut, we win in Division III too."

Daigneault could hardly believe her latest bit of good fortune as she posed with Auriemma for photos.

"I didn't expect that at all," Daigneault said. "He came out and I didn't know what to say. That was great too, very exciting."

It was been quite the final season for Daigneault, who was the leading scorer and rebounder on an Amherst team which beat five-time champion Washington (Mo.) University to win the program's first national title.

"It's been a crazy year, it really has," Daigneault said. "We worked so hard, I wouldn't be here without my teammates. I love them, I wouldn't trade anything in the world for this experience. It's been an incredible honor and dream come true to win a national championship and then get this award, it is just unbelievable."