Hopewell, N.J. – Duquesne women's basketball senior guard Megan McConnell has earned a spot as one of the 10 semifinalists for the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, presented by Her Hoop Stats.

McConnell was originally named to the 25-player preseason watch list before earning a spot on the 15-member midseason list in January. Now, she is one of 10 student-athletes representing 10 programs across seven different conferences. Both the Atlantic 10 and the Missouri Valley Conference have multiple semifinalists, with the A-10 making history as the first conference to have three players selected in the same season.

A native of Pittsburgh, McConnell continues to be a dominant force for the Dukes, leading the team in nearly every statistical category. She tops the Atlantic 10 in scoring (18.7 ppg), total assists (117), assists per game (5.1), steals per game (4.04), and total takeaways (93), while also ranking among the conference's top five in double-doubles (5). The senior guard has scored in double figures in 22 games and led the Dukes in scoring 15 times. She ranks seventh in the Atlantic 10 with 2.17 three-pointers per game and eighth with 50 total triples. Her offensive prowess includes eight 20-point performances, highlighted by a standout 35-point effort in December.

Entering today's contest, McConnell is on the verge of making history. She's aiming to become just the second player in program history to reach both 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds. McConnell sits just one rebound shy of the milestone with 999 career caroms. Additionally, the senior guard moved into third all-time with 325 steals while becoming just the second player in Duquesne history to surpass 600 career assists (606).

"Meg is in elite company with each of these 10 players being invaluable to their team, and I congratulate every nominee," head coach Dan Burt said. "Meg plays a crucial role in our success on the court and in the Western Pennsylvania community. A role model for young players and her Duquesne teammates, she leads with charisma, a relentless work ethic, and unwavering self-belief. It's truly rewarding to see the best player I have coached in 28 years of Division I basketball receive the recognition she deserves for her exceptional talent and accomplishments."

McConnell has been a defensive powerhouse this season, leading all of NCAA Division I with 4.04 steals per game and ranking second nationally with 93 total takeaways. Earlier this year at George Washington, the senior guard reached a career milestone, becoming just the fourth player in Duquesne history to surpass 300 career steals. The 5'7" guard has been a force on the boards, averaging 7.1 rebounds per game—the shortest player ranked in the nation's top 100 in that category. She has posted five double-digit rebounding performances and led the Dukes in rebounding 18 times this season.

The Chartiers Valley product is one of just three players nationwide to record multiple triple-doubles this season and holds the program record for the most in Duquesne history. No stranger to accolades, the Pittsburgh native was named to the 2025 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, and, more recently, to the midseason watch list for the 2024-25 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). Earlier this season, she earned yet another honor, being selected to the 2025 Women's College All-Star Game Midseason Watch List.

FOLLOW THE DUKES
For the latest news and updates for Duquesne women's basketball, follow @DuqWBB on Twitter (X) and Instagram all season.