Breen Named to 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Midseason Watch List

HOPEWELL, N.J. – Graduate student Sam Breen is one of 15 members to be named to the midseason watch list for the 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, presented by Her Hoop Stats, the organization announced Wednesday. The midseason list includes athletes from 15 schools and 13 conferences.

Breen has averaged 17.1 points per game, totaling 291 points, so far this season, while averaging 11.1 rebounds per game (189 total). The Gibsonia, Pa., native, has ranks third in the Atlantic 10 conference in scoring with her points per game average, and is first in the league in total rebounds, while sitting in sixth in the nation. She has recorded 10 double-doubles this season, tying for ninth in the country, and moving her career total to 33. In defensive rebounds per game, Breen ranks 18th in the nation (7.7; 131 total), while tying for sixth in field goal attempts (283) and placing 15th in rebounds per game in the country.

The graduate student was named to the A-10 Preseason All-Conference First Team before this season's start, was named A-10 Player of the Week on Nov. 29 and became a member of the 2021 Gulf Coast Showacase All-Tournament Team. Last season, Breen was named to the WNIT Charlotte All-Region Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, A-10 All-Championship Team and the A-10 All-Conference First Team. During the 2019-20 season, she earned A-10 All-Conference Second Team and A-10 Player of the Week on Feb. 3.

To be eligible for the honor, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be "mid-major". A preseason watch list was released back in October, with 25 members on the list. In February, the 10 semifinalists will be announced, before the top-five finalists are presented in early March. The winner of the accolade will be announced in late March. Over the course of the season, the list will see players on and off the list, as Her Hoop Stats monitors season statistics.

In 2020, the Becky Hammon Award was given to Ciara Duffy of South Dakota, the first ever recipient, while Kierstan Bell of Florida Gulf Coast received the honor in 2021.

Becky Hammon was a three-time All-American during her career at Colorado State and led the Rams to the Sweet 16 in 1999, marking the only appearance in the program's history to date. In 1999, Hammon was signed to the New York Liberty and was traded to the San Antonio Start in 2007, where she played for the remainder of her career. She retired in 2014 as a six-time All-Star and two-time All-WNBA First Team honoree, and in 2016 was named one of the top-20 players in WNBA history.

In 2014, Hammon became the second female coach in NBA history when she began coaching for the San Antonio Spurs, while being the only woman head coach in the NBA Summer League, as well as the only woman to be a member of the NBA All-Star coaching staff. Hammon is currently the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces.

2022 Becky Hammon Award Midseason Watch List

Dyaisha Fair – Buffalo
Shaylee Gonzales – BYU
Jasmine Dickey – Delaware
Kierstan Bell – Florida Gulf Coast
Macee Williams – IUPUI
Sam Breen – Massachusetts
Jasmine Franklin – Missouri State
Katelyn Young – Murray State
Jennifer Coleman – Navy
Abby Meyers – Princeton
Emmanuelle Tahane – Rhode Island
Chloe Lamb – South Dakota
Stephanie Visscher – Stephen F. Austin
Danni Nichols – Western Illinois
Meral Abdelgawad – Western Kentucky

Scoreboard

Breen Named to 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Midseason Watch List

Players Mentioned

Sam Breen

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics