John R. Wooden Award finalists announced
Finalists for the John R. Wooden Award were announced today by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. A ballot of 15 players will be mailed to award voters this week for selecting the player who will win women’s college basketball’s most prestigious honor.
The finalists:
|
Name
|
|
Ht.
|
Yr.
|
Pos.
|
University
|
Conference
|
|
Elena Delle Donne
|
6-5
|
Jr.
|
F/G
|
Delaware
|
CAA
|
|
|
Skylar Diggins
|
5-9
|
Jr.
|
G
|
Notre Dame
|
Big East
|
|
|
Brittney Griner*
|
6-8
|
Jr.
|
C
|
Baylor
|
Big 12
|
|
|
Tiffany Hayes
|
5-10
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Connecticut
|
Big East
|
|
|
Shenise Johnson
|
5-11
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Miami
|
ACC
|
|
|
A’dia Mathies
|
5-9
|
Jr.
|
G
|
Kentucky
|
SEC
|
|
|
Chiney Ogwumike
|
6-3
|
So.
|
F
|
Stanford
|
Pac-12
|
|
|
Nnemkadi Ogwumike*#
|
6-2
|
Sr.
|
F
|
Stanford
|
Pac-12
|
|
|
Samantha Prahalis
|
5-7
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Ohio State
|
Big Ten
|
|
|
Odyssey Sims
|
5-9
|
So.
|
G
|
Baylor
|
Big 12
|
|
|
Shekinna Stricklen
|
6-2
|
Sr.
|
G/F
|
Tennessee
|
SEC
|
|
|
Alyssa Thomas
|
6-2
|
So.
|
F
|
Maryland
|
ACC
|
|
|
Elizabeth Williams
|
6-3
|
Fr.
|
C
|
Duke
|
ACC
|
|
|
Riquna Williams
|
5-7
|
Sr.
|
G
|
Miami
|
ACC
|
|
|
Julie Wojta
|
6-0
|
Sr.
|
G/F
|
Green Bay
|
Horizon
|
|
Players listed alphabetically)
*indicates player was 2011 Wooden Award All American
#indicates player was 2010 Wooden Award All American
From the Los Angeles Athletic Club:
The Wooden Award All American Teams will be announced the week of the “Elite Eight” round of the NCAA Tournament. Voters have until Monday, March 19 at Noon PDT to return their ballots, allowing them to take into consideration performance during the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which makes the Wooden Award unique among college postseason awards.
Stanford forward Nnemkadi Ogwumike, a senior, and Baylor junior center Brittney Griner were on last year’s Wooden Award All American Team, and Ogwumike was chosen in 2010 as well. She has led Stanford to its third straight perfect season in conference play, leading the Pac-12 in scoring (21.6 ppg), and ranking second in rebounding (10.5) and free throw percentage (82.8%). Griner ranks No. 6 in the nation in scoring (23.8), and leads the country in blocked shots (5.1). Her Bears are ranked No. 1 in the nation and are enjoying a perfect 31-0 season.
Several additional players return to the Wooden Award ballot from a year ago: Skyler Diggins of Notre Dame, Shekinna Stricklen of Tennessee, and Miami’s Shenise Johnson. Green Bay’s Julie Wojta and Connecticut’s Tiffany Hayes are the only players who were not on the midseason Wooden Award list, but who made the ballot.
The ACC has four players on the ballot, followed by the Big 12, Big East, Pac-12, and SEC each with two. The CAA, Big 10, and Horizon League had one player chosen. Three schools have two players on the ballot in 2012: Baylor, Stanford and Miami. Miami’s two players are Johnson and Riquna Williams; Griner and Odyssey Sims represent Baylor. Nnemkadi Ogwumike is joined as a Finalist by her younger sister and frontcourt mate for the Cardinal, Chiney. The duo is the only pair of sisters ever selected to the Wooden Award ballot.
Upperclassmen dominate the list, but this year one freshman, Duke’s Elizabeth Williams, and three sophomores were selected: Chiney Ogwumike, Sims, and the ACC Player of the Year Alyssa Thomas of Maryland. Rounding out the ballot are the nation’s top scorer, Elena Delle Donne of Delaware (28.3 ppg); A’dia Mathies, the SEC Player of the Year from Kentucky; Big 10 Player of the Year, Samantha Prahalis of Ohio State; and two-time first team All Big East pick, Tiffany Hayes of Connecticut.
The 36th annual Wooden Award Gala, will take place on Friday, April 6, 2012, and will honor winners, All Americans, and the Legends of Coaching honoree Geno Auriemma of Connecticut. The Women’s John R. Wooden Award winner will be announced at the Gala event.
