Baylee E. Yedinak-Blendick

Shawn H. Ray

First Posted: 3/31/2012 <media-caption>
Baylor center Brittney Griner shoots during practice at the NCAA Women's Final Four college basketball tournament in Denver, Saturday, March 31, 2012. Baylor is scheduled to play Stanford in a national semifinal on Sunday. (AP Photo/Julie A. Jacobson)
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 (AP) Brittney Griner is The Associated Press' women's college basketball Player of the Year, the first Baylor player to win the award.
She received 36 votes Saturday from the 40-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Balloting was done before the NCAA tournament.
The 6-foot-8 phenom averaged 23.4 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.2 blocks this season. She shot 61 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line, and she has raised her game over the last month.
Elena Delle Donne of Delaware was second with two votes. Skylar Diggins of Notre Dame and Nnemkadi Ogwumike of Stanford received the other votes.
Maya Moore of Connecticut won the award last season and Griner ended a run of three straight seasons that a Huskies player has been player of the year.
<a title="Associated Press" href="http://www.ap.org" class="url org fn">Associated Press</a>

Baylor's Griner is AP Player of the Year