Pittsburgh, Pa. – Senior guard Megan McConnell of the Duquesne women's basketball team has earned a spot on the midseason watchlist for the 2024-25 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, announced by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

Members of the USBWA board of directors chose 50 standout players for consideration for the National Player of the Year. The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner is to be announced at the NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa, from April 4-6. The formal presentation of the trophy will follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. 

A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., McConnell is no stranger to acquiring accolades. In January, she was named to the midseason watch list for the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award and most recently named to the 2025 Women's College All-Star Game Midseason Watch List. The senior guard has been a standout performer for Duquesne this season, leading the team in nearly every statistical category. She tops the Atlantic 10 in points per game (18.6), total assists (108), assists per game (5.1), steals per game (4.14), and total takeaways (87), while also ranking fourth in double-doubles (5).

A consistent standout, McConnell has scored in double figures in 20 games this season, leading the Dukes in scoring 13 times. She ranks fifth in the Atlantic 10 with 2.19 three-pointers per game and has knocked down 46 total triples, placing her seventh in the conference. McConnell has recorded seven 20-point performances, including a standout 35-point game in December. Beyond her scoring ability, McConnell has been a dynamic playmaker. She has led the Dukes in assists in 17 games, dishing out five or more in 13 contests and reaching double digits twice. Her 108 total dimes rank 35th in the nation, while her 5.1 assists per game place her 34th. With 597 career assists, McConnell sits second all-time in program history.

On the defensive end, McConnell has been nothing short of exceptional. She leads NCAA Division I with 4.14 steals per game, while her 87 total takeaways rank second in the nation. The senior guard recently became just the fourth player in program history to surpass 300 career steals and has recorded nine games with five or more takeaways. Despite standing at just 5'7", McConnell has been a force on the boards, averaging 7.1 rebounds per game—the shortest player ranked in the top 100 nationally in that category. She has posted five double-digit rebounding games and has led the Dukes in rebounding on 16 occasions.  

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"A very noteworthy acknowledgment for an incredible young woman," head coach Dan Burt said. "Megan has earned every moment to shine. The consummate leader and teammate, Meg is the most improved player and the best player I've coached in 28 years of Division I basketball. We are so happy for Meg and the attention she is bringing to herself, our program, and our university."

McConnell is one of only three Atlantic 10 players named to the midseason list.

About The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award
The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is presented annually to the women's national player of the year by the USBWA. Named for the legendary UCLA guard, the award was first presented in the 1987-88 season and formally named in Meyers Drysdale's honor in the 2011-12 season. Ann Meyers Drysdale played at UCLA from 1974-78, which pre-dates the USBWA All-America selections. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

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