Washington, D.C. – Former Duquesne University women's basketball standout
Megan McConnell has been nominated for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award, as announced Tuesday by the Atlantic 10 Conference. She is one of 13 outstanding female student-athletes nominated by A-10 member institutions, representing eight sports across 12 different A-10 institutions.
The league's Senior Woman Administrators will vote on the nominees to select two student-athletes who will be named A-10 Woman of the Year and represent the league as 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year conference finalists.
The 13 institutional nominees have been recognized for exceptional academic prowess, athletic success, leadership skills, and community service. Each candidate has noteworthy credentials, earning All-Conference awards, participation in postseason competition and academic honors, both from the A-10 and on a national scale. A complete list of the nominees, their sport, hometown and academic studies is included below. A full profile of each candidate will be shared on the Atlantic 10 social media channels.
McConnell, a senior from Pittsburgh, Pa., completed her Master's degree in Leadership with an impressive 3.93 GPA this past spring, all while continuing to shine on the basketball court. The standout point guard capped off one of the most distinguished careers in Duquesne women's basketball history before signing a contract with the Phoenix Mercury this past June, becoming just the third player in program history to make an active WNBA roster.
During her time on the Bluff, McConnell cemented her legacy as one of the most accomplished players in Duquesne women's basketball history. She became the program's all-time leader in both assists (660) and steals (370), while finishing second in career scoring with 1,795 points. Her name is etched in the record books with school bests in games played (144), career starts (136), and triple-doubles (4). Despite standing just 5'7", she was a force on the boards, collecting 1,079 career rebounds, the second-most in program history, and averaging 7.5 rebounds per game, which ranks 10th all-time. A consistent threat from beyond the arc, she also made 209 three-pointers (sixth all-time) and averaged 4.6 assists per game, the seventh-best mark in school history.
The former guard is no stranger to accolades, consistently earning recognition for her outstanding contributions on both ends of the court. She was named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist in back-to-back seasons (2023–24 and 2024–25), ultimately emerging as one of five finalists in her final year. Her defensive prowess earned her a spot on the 2025 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist, remarkably, as the only mid-major player selected. She was also featured on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watchlist. McConnell capped off her collegiate career with a selection to the 2025 Lilly Women's College All-Star Game and was honored as the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 35th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
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