MAAC Announces 2008-09 Women's Basketball Individual Award Recipients
MAAC Sports
Albany, N.Y. ? Marist’s Rachele Fitz has been named the 2009 Pepsi Max MAAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, while Iona’s Kristina Ford was selected as the Rookie of the Year. Canisius’ Brittan? Russell was chosen as the Defensive Player of the Year and teammate Ellie Radke earned Sixth Player of the Year honors.
Fitz, a 6-0 junior forward from Seven Hills, Ohio, led the conference in scoring (20.6 ppg), rebounding (9.0 rpg), and field goal percentage (60.3%). She was also fourth in free throw percentage (83.1%) and seventh in blocks (1.0 bpg). Fitz, the 2007-08 MAAC Player of the Year and this season’s Preseason Player of the Year, is ranked in the top-15 in the nation in both points per game and field goal percentage. She earned Player of the Week honors six times this season.
Ford, a 6-1 forward from Fresh Meadows, N.Y., was the Gaels’ third leading scorer with 11.0 points per game and second leading rebounder (6.5 rpg). She also finished second in the MAAC with 2.6 steals per game. Ford was named Rookie of the Week five times.
Russell, a 5-5 junior guard from Southfield, Michigan, was ranked third in the league in steals with 2.5 per game. She has recorded a steal in 32 of the last 35 games and has at least two steals in 28 of the last 35. Russell currently ranks fifth in program history in career steals with 232. She was named Player of the Week once this season and was voted to the All-MAAC Second Team.
Radke, a 6-0 junior forward from Monroe, Wisconsin, appeared in 25 games, starting just four of them, and averaged 7.2 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per contest. She scored at least eight points in 12 games this season, Radke recorded a career-high 19 points in 22 minutes against Mount St. Mary’s on December 30.