Another honor for Parker

University of Tennessee star Candace Parker has been voted the 2008 Honda Sports Award winner for the second year in a row as the nation's top collegiate female basketball player.

The honor was based on the results of national balloting among 1,000 NCAA member schools as part of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards program, now in its 32nd year.

"I have been fortunate to be surrounded by teammates and coaches who make our team a success," said Parker, who helped Tennessee win two women's NCAA championships. "I am honored to win the Honda Sports Award again this year, but I know nothing this season would have been possible without my teammates.

"I am thankful my classmates and I could leave here with back-to-back NCAA titles and I know neither of the championships would have been possible without a full team effort."

The Honda Sports Award is given annually to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports, along with automatic nomination for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year.

With this award, Parker, a former Naperville Central star and No. 1 draft pick of the Los Angeles Sparks, becomes the seventh back-to-back winner in basketball.

She was selected over three other nominees: Sylvia Fowles, a senior at Louisiana State University and Chicago Sky draft pick; Maya Moore, a freshman at the University of Connecticut; and Candice Wiggins, a senior at Stanford University.