NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Notre Dame junior guard Skylar Diggins has been selected as the first BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week for the 2011-12 season, the conference office announced Monday afternoon.

It’s the second time in Diggins’ career she has been chosen for the honor, having first been selected on Feb. 14, 2011. In addition, it’s the 70th time a Fighting Irish women’s basketball player has earned a BIG EAST weekly award (40 Players of the Week, 30 Freshmen of the Week), the second-most selections in conference history despite the fact Notre Dame joined the BIG EAST in 1995-96, a full 14 seasons after the league began sponsoring women’s basketball (1982-83).

The BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, as well as an Associated Press and ESPN.com preseason All-America selection, and a candidate for both the State Farm Wade Trophy and John R. Wooden Award (which go to the nation’s top women’s college basketball player), Diggins averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.3 steals per game with a .544 field goal percentage (31-of-57), .864 free throw percentage (19-of-22) and 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio in leading Notre Dame to a runner-up finish in the Preseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT).

Diggins (South Bend, Ind./Washington) was named to the Preseason WNIT All-Tournament Team after scoring at least 20 points in three of the four Fighting Irish contests during the event, including a season-high 27 points in Sunday’s 94-81 loss at top-ranked Baylor in the championship game. The South Bend native also chalked up 21 points and a season-best eight assists in the opening-round win over Akron (81-61), as well as 14 points, seven assists (with no turnovers) and a season-high six steals in a 99-34 quarterfinal victory over Indiana State. She then helped propel Notre Dame into the Preseason WNIT final with a game-high 22 points (on 9-of-14 shooting) and six assists in only 23 minutes of a 98-43 semifinal win over Hartford.

Through the first two weekends of the 2011-12 season, Diggins is tied with DePaul’s Anna Martin for the BIG EAST scoring lead, while sharing second-place honors in assists, ranking eighth in steals, and also appearing on the top 15 in the conference in free throw percentage (10th), field goal percentage (13th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (14th).

Ranked No. 4 in the latest AP poll also released on Monday, Notre Dame returns to the hardwood at 5:45 p.m. Friday when it faces Southern California at St. Georges High School in Freeport, Bahamas, in a Freeport Division first-round game at the Junkanoo Jam. No. 7 Duke and reigning Big South Conference champion Gardner-Webb will square off in the division’s other opening-round contest later on Friday — the consolation game will be played at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, followed by the championship game at 8 p.m.