Basketball standout named NCAA woman of the year

UD women's basketball standout Cindy Johnson may have ended her career as a Blue Hen when she graduated in May with a degree in English, but the awards continue to accumulate for the top female scorer in UD history.

Johnson, who led the Blue Hens under head coach Tina Martin to the 2001 NCAA Tournament– the team's first ever– has been selected the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Woman of the Year for the state of Delaware and has been named an assistant Blue Hen coach.

A native of Rockaway, N.Y., Johnson was one of 51 NCAA female student-athletes from throughout the country nominated as state winners for the award, which honors outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership.

Johnson will receive her award at the 11th annual NCAA Woman of the Year banquet in Indianapolis, where the top 10 finalists and overall NCAA woman of the year will be named.

Johnson has received numerous awards, including UD Alumni Association 2001 Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of the Year and America East Tournament Most Valuable Player.

In addition to being UD's all-time leading scorer, Johnson, who averaged 17.3 points per game during the 2000-2001 season, set a single year record with 520 while also becoming the first player in UD women's history to turn in consecutive 500-point seasons.