Villanova Basketball Star Maddy Siegrist Selected as PSWA 2022 Amateur Athlete
The Philadelphia Sports Writers Association announced that Villanova basketball star Maddy Siegrist will be the Association Amateur Athlete of the Year. Siegrist will receive the award at the 118th Philadelphia Sportswriters Association Annual Banquet on January 23, 2023 at the Doubletree by Hilton in Cherry Hill, NJ.
Over Thanksgiving Weekend Siegrist became the third player in program history to reach the 2,000 career-points plateau, only the third player to do so. A week later she moved into second place on the all-time scoring list in women’s basketball at Villanova.
The year 2022 was a record-breaking year of accomplishment for Siegrist. The senior forward set a Big East Conference record in scoring for conference games averaging 27.9 points per game, and went on to become the Big East Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. She ranked second in rebounding at 10 per game in the Big East.
Overall, the Wildcats star lead the team in scoring with 684 points, an average of 25.3 points per game and added 9.2 rebounds in each contest. She had 18 games of 20 points or more during the regular season. Nine of those games saw her get 30 points or more. Siegrist set a career-mark of 42 points against Marquette.
Siegrist led Villanova to the second seed in the Big East Tournament getting to the conference tournament final. During the season she scored 17 points when Villanova ended Connecticut’s 169-game conference winning streak. The Wildcats received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament defeating BYU with Siegrist scoring her average.
For the second consecutive season the Wildcats forward was named the Philadelphia Big Five Player of the Year.
She was named a third team All-American by the USBWA and the AP, the first Wildcats player so named since 2009. During the summer Siegrist was a selectee to the USA Basketball roster for the FIBA 3 x 3 U23 Nations final playing in the Dominican Republic and Romania.
Coming into this season Siegrist is the Big East Preseason Player of the Year. She is also on the watch-list for the Katrina McClain Award symbolizing the top power forward in women’s basketball.
In scoring Siegrist is on track to challenge the all-time scoring leader Shelly Pennefather (2,408 points) which is the record for most career-points in Wildcats scoring history for both men and women’s basketball.
Recent noted athletes to win this award include: Collin Gillespie, Villanova Basketball; Bella Alarie, Princeton Basketball; Jalen Brunson, Villanova Basketball; Justin Watson, Penn Football; Tyler Matakevic, Temple Football; John Robertson, Villanova Football; Sheila Reid, Villanova Track and Cross Country; Patrick Tiernan, Villanova Track and Cross Country; Gabriela Marginean, Drexel Basketball; Matt Ryan, Boston College Football; Jameer Nelson, Saint Joseph’s Basketball; and Brian Westbrook, Villanova Football.
More awards will be announced over the coming weeks. The Phillies will be honored at the banquet as the 2022 Team of the Year.
By John Weber
Premiere Networks
(Photo – Villanova Athletics)