March 2, 2000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Three key Illinois women's basketball players were named All-Big Ten selections by the media and coaches and one player earned All-Big Ten Freshman honors.

Illinois senior forward Tauja Catchings and sophomore guard Allison Curtin were both selected to the first team while senior forward Susan Blauser garnered second team honors by the media. The coaches had Catchings as a unanimous first team choice and Curtin and Blauser on the second team. Freshman guard Shavonna Hunter was also selected by the coaches to the All-Freshman team.

Catchings is averaging 15.7 points this season along with a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game. Catchings' career has been highlighted by becoming the only Illini player to record 1,400 points, 700 rebounds, 300 assists, and 200 steals for a career. This season Catchings has also recorded seven double-doubles and scored 18 points and seven rebounds in an exhibition game against the U.S. National Team. Catchings had received second-team All-Big Ten honors the previous two seasons. This year she was named Big Ten Player of the Week twice. Catchings ranks third in the Big Ten in scoring and fourth in the league in rebounding in conference play.

Curtin leads the Illini in scoring (17.5 ppg) and in free throw percentage (.808). Curtin recorded a career-best 28 points in a win against nationally ranked Notre Dame on Nov. 27 to earn her Big Ten Player of the Week honors. She also has recorded three double-doubles this year and has been in double figures in all but three games. Curtin was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman team last year as well as the Big Ten All-Tournament team. She ranks third in both scoring and steals in the Big Ten and fourth in the league in free-throw percentage.

Blauser is the team's third-leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points per game. She has had eight games of at least 20 points this season and tallied three double-doubles. Last year Blauser was a first-team All-Big Ten selection. In the next to the last game of the regular season, she totaled 30 points and nine rebounds while making 9 of 11 from the field and 12 of 14 from the free-throw line.

Hunter became the Illini's starting point guard after senior Melissa Parker was sidelined by injury. This year she broke Allison Curtin's freshman record of steals with 71 and leads the Illini in assists with 95. Hunter recorded a career-high 15 points against Indiana on Jan. 9 and recorded her first double-double of the year against Kansas on Dec. 18. She set an Illini record by amassing 10 steals vs. the Jayhawks, the most by any Big Ten player this year.