Notre Dame guard Skylar Diggins was named the women's Big East preseason player of the year and was a unanimous selection to the preseason All-Big East team, the conference announced during its media day.

It's the second season in a row for Diggins to be named the preseason player of the year.

The 5-foot-9 senior averaged a team-high 16.8 points and 5.7 assists. She averaged 17.8 points and 5.8 assists in conference play.

Diggins is the only Irish player to be named to the preseason team, which is voted on by the coaches, and she is one of five unanimous selections. The other unanimous selections are Connecticut's Bria Hartley, DePaul's Anna Martin, Georgetown's Sugar Rodgers and Louisville's Shoni Schimmel.

Notre Dame, which won its first outright Big East title last season and reached the NCAA tournament championship game for the second year in a row, was picked to finish second in the conference.

The Irish, who received three first-place votes, were picked behind UConn, which received 12 first-place votes.

Coaches Poll

Preseason awards

Player of the Year

Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame, Sr., G

Freshman of the Year

*Breanna Stewart, Connecticut, Fr., F

All-BIG EAST Team

Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut, Jr., C

*Bria Hartley, Connecticut, Jr., G

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Connecticut, So., F

*Anna Martin, DePaul, Sr., G

*Sugar Rodgers, Georgetown, Sr., G

*Shoni Schimmel, Louisville, Jr., G

*Skylar Diggins, Notre Dame, Sr., G

Monique Oliver, Rutgers, Sr., F/C

Nadirah McKenith, St. John's, Sr., G

Shenneika Smith, St. John's, Sr., G

Kayla Alexander, Syracuse, Sr., C

Honorable Mention

Monique Reid, Louisville, Sr., F

Laura Sweeney, Villanova, Sr., F

*unanimous selection