Turner named ACC Player of Year; McGraw named top coach

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Notre Dame sophomore forward Brianna Turner of three-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion Irish has been voted the 2016 ACC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year by the league’s 15 head coaches, while Notre Dame’s Muffet McGraw earned ACC Coach of the Year honors, according to a conference news release.

Turner leads the ACC in field goal shooting at .596 percent while averaging 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-3 Turner , the 2016 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, leads the ACC with 82 blocked shots in 26 games (3.15 per contest) and has 23 steals.

Notre Dame’s McGraw earned her second ACC Coach of the Year honor after guiding the Fighting Irish to their third-straight regular-season and ACC Women’s Tournament crowns.

The Fighting Irish (31-1 overall) posted a 16-0 ACC regular-season mark and currently own the nation’s top-ranked RPI. Under McGraw’s watch, the Fighting Irish are 47-1 in ACC regular-season play since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season in addition to the three consecutive ACC Tournament titles.

Notre Dame also placed three players on the Coaches’ 2015-16 All-ACC First Team. Turner, grad student Madison Cable and junior Lindsay Allen were selected.

Sophomores Myisha Hines-Allen and Mariya Moore of Louisville were also voted to the 10-member All-ACC First Team. They are joined by Duke sophomore Azurá Stevens, Florida State sophomore Shakayla Thomas, Georgia Tech senior Aaliyah Whiteside, Miami junior Adrienne Motley and Syracuse junior Alexis Peterson.