UConn senior guard Kelly Faris was named the Big East's Defensive Player of the Year and shared the Most Improved Player honor with DePaul's Brittany Hrynko.

Faris drew the opposing team's top perimeter player on a nightly basis and also leads UConn with 80 steals, nearly twice as many as any of her teammates.

Faris went from averaging 6.6 points and 5.1 rebounds as a junior to putting up 10.9 points and 5.5 rebounds while leading UConn with 121 assists and in steals.

Sophomore forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis joins reigning Big East Player of the Year Skylar Diggins and South Florida's Andrea Smith as the only unanimous All-Big East first-team selections as she is averaging a team-best 17.9 points per game and has 96 3-pointers. Teammate Stefanie Dolson was also named to the first team after putting up 14.3 and 6.7 rebounds per game. Faris was a second-team pick while Bria Hartley and Breanna Stewart were honorable mention selections.

Stewart was one of four unanimous picks to the Big East All-Freshman team and Moriah Jefferson also was selected to the squad.

Syracuse's Carmen Tyson-Thomas was named as the Sixth Man Award winner while DePaul's Anna Martin was selected as the winner of the conference's sportsmanship award.

The Big East will announce the Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Freshman of the Year tomorrow at a 2 p.m. press conference.

Here's the list of honorees


Defensive Player of the Year
Kelly Faris, Connecticut, Sr., G

Sixth Man Award
Carmen Tyson-Thomas, Syracuse, Sr., G

Most Improved Player
Kelly Faris, Connecticut, Sr., G
Brittany Hrynko, DePaul, So., G

Sportsmanship Award
Anna Martin, DePaul, Sr., G
 
First Team
Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut, Jr., C
*Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut, So., F
Brittany Hrynko, DePaul, So., G
Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown, Sr., G
Shoni Schimmel, Louisville, Jr., G
Natalie Achonwa, Notre Dame, Jr., F
*Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame, Sr., G
Kayla McBride, Notre Dame, Jr., G
Nadirah McKenith, St. John’s, Sr., G
Shenneika Smith, St. John’s, Sr., G
*Andrea Smith, USF, Sr., G
Kayla Alexander, Syracuse, Sr., C

Second Team 
Dayeesha Hollins, Cincinnati, R-Jr., G
Kelly Faris, Connecticut, Sr., G
Katherine Harry, DePaul, Sr., F
Anna Martin, DePaul, Sr. G
Antonita Slaughter, Louisville, Jr., G
Katherine Plouffe, Marquette, Jr., F
Symone Roberts, Providence, Sr., G
Brittany Morris, Seton Hall, Sr., G
Andrell Smith, USF, Sr., G
Laura Sweeney, Villanova, Sr., F

Honorable Mention
Bria Hartley, Connecticut, Jr., G
Breanna Stewart, Connecticut, Fr., F
Jewell Loyd, Notre Dame, Fr., G
Brianna Kiesel, Pittsburgh, So., G
Erica Wheeler, Rutgers, Sr., G

All-Freshman Team
Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut, Fr., G
*Breanna Stewart, Connecticut, Fr., F
Chanise Jenkins, DePaul, R-Fr., G
Brooklyn Pumroy, Marquette, Fr., G
*Jewell Loyd, Notre Dame, Fr., G
*Aliyyah Handford, St. John’s, Fr., G
Kahleah Copper, Rutgers, Fr., G
Brianna Butler, Syracuse, Fr., G
*Brittney Sykes, Syracuse, Fr., G
Alisia Jenkins, USF, Fr., F
 *Unanimous selection