University of Connecticut Athletics
Five Huskies Named to Wooden Award Preseason Top-30
11/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
STORRS, Conn. - Five University of Connecticut women's basketball team standouts have earned a spot on the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top-30 as announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Tuesday, November 14. Napheesa Collier, Kia Nurse, Katie Lou Samuelson, Azurá Stevens and Gabby Williams were all included on the list.
Seven other schools have multiple selections to the list but no other institution has more than two players included on the list of 30.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2018 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason list are eligible for the Wooden Award midseason list, late season list and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they are also making progress toward graduation and maintaining at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
Voting will open prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2018 John R. Wooden Award will be presented during the ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's on Friday, April 6, 2018.
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best basketball player at an NCAA Division I university who has proven to his or her university that he or she is making progress towards graduation and maintaining a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA.
Last year's recipients were Kelsey Plum of Washington and Frank Mason III of Kansas.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament.
The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
The Legends of Coaching Award will be presented during the 4th Annual ESPN College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's, which will take place on Friday, April 6, 2018. For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
John R. Wooden Award Presented by Wendy's
2017-18 Preseason Top 30
Name | School | Conference | Height | Class | Position |
Kristine Anigwe | California | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Jr. | C/F |
Ariel Atkins | Texas | Big 12 | 5-11 | Sr. | G |
Monique Billings | UCLA | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Sr. | F |
Allazia Blockton | Marquette | Big East | 6-0 | Jr. | G |
Kalani Brown | Baylor | Big 12 | 6-7 | Jr. | C |
Lexie Brown | Duke | ACC | 5-9 | Sr. | G |
Jordin Canada | UCLA | Pac-12 | 5-6 | Sr. | G |
UConn | The American | 6-1 | Jr. | F | |
Sophie Cunningham | Missouri | SEC | 6-1 | Jr. | G |
Asia Durr | Louisville | ACC | 5-10 | Jr. | G |
Katelynn Flaherty | Michigan | Big Ten | 5-7 | Sr. | G |
Rebecca Greenwell | Duke | ACC | 6-1 | Sr. | G |
Ruthy Hebard | Oregon | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Soph. | F |
Myisha Hines-Allen | Louisville | ACC | 6-2 | Sr. | F |
Sabrina Ionescu | Oregon | Pac-12 | 5-10 | Soph. | G |
Tynice Martin | West Virginia | Big 12 | 5-11 | Jr. | G |
Brooke McCarty | Texas | Big 12 | 5-4 | Sr. | G |
Brittany McPhee | Stanford | Pac-12 | 6-0 | Sr. | G |
Kelsey Mitchell | Ohio State | Big Ten | 5-8 | Sr. | G |
Jaime Nared | Tennessee | SEC | 6-2 | Sr. | G/F |
UConn | The American | 6-0 | Sr. | G | |
Arike Ogunbowale | Notre Dame | ACC | 5-8 | Jr. | G |
Mercedes Russell | Tennessee | SEC | 6-6 | Sr. | C |
UConn | The American | 6-3 | Jr. | G/F | |
UConn | The American | 6-6 | Sr. | G/F | |
Shakayla Thomas | Florida State | ACC | 5-11 | Sr. | F |
Victoria Vivians | Mississippi State | SEC | 6-1 | Sr. | G |
Morgan William | Mississippi State | SEC | 5-5 | Sr. | G |
UConn | The American | 5-11 | Sr. | F | |
A'ja Wilson | South Carolina | SEC | 6-5 | Sr. | F |
