Polish international guard Agnieszka Bibrzycka has been voted European Player of the Year by prestigious Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Lotos Gdynia player finished above Russian star Elena Baranova and Valenciennes' Belgian player Ann Wauters.

Bibrzycka was outstanding at the European Championships, where Poland narrowly missed out on a bronze medal and a place at the Olympics.

She averaged more than 16 points a game in the competition.

Lotos are fourth in Group B of the FIBA Europe League for Women.

German big man Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks' best player, retained the men's award.