Candace Parker has earned all sorts of honors - All-American, national champion, future Olympian. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt offers another distinction: the top player in the history of women's basketball. "I went into the season thinking she's one of the best ever," Summitt said. "Now that we're approaching the end of her career - I've coached Cheryl Miller, Chamique (Holdsclaw), Lynette Woodard, Nancy (Lieberman), Anne Donovan - Parker is the best."

Parker, a junior, averaged 21.6 points and 8.3 rebounds to lead the Lady Vols this season. The All-American on Saturday was voted player of the year in women's college basketball by The Associated Press. Geno Auriemma of Connecticut was the coach of the year, the fifth time he won the award.

"It doesn't matter how many of these you get, it's always special because it means you're doing a great job," Auriemma said.

Parker received 40 votes from the 50-member national media panel that selects the weekly Top 25. Maya Moore of Connecticut was second with five votes. Sylvia Fowles of LSU and Candice Wiggins of Stanford had two each and Crystal Langhorne of Maryland one.

"I don't know of another player - I haven't coached one - who was 6-foot-5 with the skill set she has," Summitt said, referring to Parker.

On Tuesday night, she scored eight of her 26 points in the second half after twice dislocating her left shoulder to help Tennessee rally past Texas A&M and into the Final Four. She scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the regional semifinals to send the Lady Vols over Notre Dame.

"I feel like just knowing when to take over and not waiting," Parker said. "I try to play hard on both ends of the court and provide what my team needs."

Parker, trying to send Tennessee to a second straight national championship, sparked the U.S. team during Olympic qualifying by averaging a team-high 13.8 points in the FIBA Americas tournament in Chile. She will be a major part of the U.S. team at the Beijing Olympics.

Parker will graduate in May and not return for her last year of eligibility. She most likely will be the first pick by the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA draft Wednesday.

Auriemma received 13 votes, followed by North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell with 11 and Utah's Elaine Elliott and Kansas State's Deb Patterson with six each.

"Anytime you're recognized for doing something that you're trying to do really well you always feel humbled a little bit," he said.

Auriemma also won the award in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2003. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

This season, he guided UConn to a 36-1 record, the lone blemish a 73-71 defeat to Rutgers on Feb. 5. The Huskies lost two starters to season-ending knee injuries yet returned to the Final Four for the ninth time. This was UConn's first visit since 2004, its longest drought in 20 years.

"This is one year where I think we as a coaching staff probably have earned it," he said. "Some years you have the best players and go and do what you know you should be doing. There isn't that much adversity, there isn't that much to overcome.

"This particular year, the players in our program probably did do some things that I think was above and beyond what you normally do during the season."

Written By DOUG FEINBERG

Email To A Friend