Wisconsin women’s basketball coach Lisa Stone has been named the 2009-10 Big Ten Coach of the Year. Stone led the Badgers to a 20-9 overall record and 10-8 Big Ten mark (T-2nd). She said this award is not just about her.
AUDIO: Lisa Stone says this award isn’t just about her :17
Stone picks up her first Big Ten Coach of the Year award. She earned Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors at Drake in 2001 and was also a six-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Coach of the Year.
Wisconsin was picked to finish 10th in a preseason poll of league coaches and the Badgers finished the regular season tied for second. Stone said that preseason prediction provided plenty of incentive.
AUDIO: Lisa Stone said her team was plenty motivated to do well :11
The Badgers receive their first, 1st round tournament (Big Ten) bye since 2001. The Lady Badgers are also in line for their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002.
Wisconsin also had two players receive all Big Ten honors. 5’7 guard Alyssa Karel, who leads the Badgers and ranks 11th in the Big Ten with 13.8 points a game. Karel earned second-team honors by both the coaches and media.
Senior Rae Lin D’Alie was named to the All-Big Ten third team by the media and earned honorable mention honors by the coaches. D’Alie is tied for second on the team in scoring at 8.9 points a game and leads the Badgers in steals with 1.86 per game.