GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Maryland’s Alyssa Thomas won her third straight Atlantic Coast Conference basketball player of the year award, and Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw was selected coach of the year.
North Carolina’s Diamond DeShields was chosen rookie of the year, the ACC announced Wednesday in a vote by media members and school representatives.
McGraw guided No. 2 Notre Dame to a 29-0, 16-0 record in its first ACC season. The Fighting Irish hold the top seed in the league tournament that starts Wednesday in Greensboro.
DeShields averaged 17.7 points and earned three rookie of the week awards from the league for No. 13 North Carolina.
Thomas ranks fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 18.7 points, and is its No. 2 rebounder at 10.8. She joined Duke’s Alana Beard (2002-04) as the only players to win the award three times.
Thomas is the only player in ACC history with four triple-doubles in a season. She’s one shy of matching the NCAA career record of seven.
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