NEW YORK -- The BIG EAST Conference today announced the 2020-21 women's basketball All-Conference honorees and major award winners. Wildcat sophomore forward Maddy Siegrist (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) was a unanimous first team honoree, while senior forward Brianna Herlihy (Braintree, Mass.) garnered a spot on the All-Conference second team. This is the second straight year that Siegrist has earned first team distinction.
 
Siegrist finished the regular season by leading the BIG EAST in both scoring at 23.1 ppg, and rebounding at 10.1 rpg. She becomes just the third player in league history to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding. The other two players to accomplish the statistical double were Rebekkah Brunson (Georgetown in 2003-04) and Angel McCoughtry who did it three times playing for then Big East member Louisville (2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09).
 
She finished the regular season by posting a double-double in three of the final four games which gives her a BIG EAST leading 11 double-doubles for the season and she has now tallied a double-double in 22 of her 50 collegiate games. In addition, Siegrist scored 20 points or more in 13 of the first 19 games this season, including four games of over 30 points. In 50 career games, Siegrist has scored 20 points or more in 28 of the 50 contests.
 
In the regular season finale last Saturday, Siegrist became just the third player in Villanova women's basketball history to score 1,000 points in two seasons and she becomes the fastest to reach the milestone in Villanova women's basketball history. Shelly Pennefather (1983-87) scored 1,000 points in 52 career games, while Laura Kurz (2007-09) did it in 60 career contests.
 
After missing most of last season due to an injury, Herlihy has returned to the court to be one of Villanova's top performers. In 19 games this year, Herlihy has tallied four 20-point games, 15 double figure scoring efforts and two double-doubles. Entering play in the BIG EAST Tournament, she is averaging 14.1 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per contest which both rank second on the team.  She also ranks second on the team in assists with 65.
 
In the latest BIG EAST statistics, Herlihy ranks 11^th in scoring and third in rebounding. She also ranks third in blocks (1.4 bpg.) and 12^th in assists (3.4 apg.).
 
Villanova will be the No. 5 seed in this week's BIG EAST Tournament to be held at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The Wildcats are set to take on No. 4 seed DePaul on Saturday. March 6, at 3 p.m.