Asia Durr Named Citizen Naismith Player of Year Semifinalist, Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Finalist
February 27, 2018 | Women's Basketball
Durr is shooting 45 percent from deep, which leads the ACC and ranks 14th in the nation.
ATLANTA (February 26, 2018) – The Atlanta Tipoff Club released that University of Louisville junior guard Asia Durr is one of 10 semifinalists for the Citizen Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year honor. From this list, the Naismith Awards master voting academy will identify the four national finalists, to be announced on March 16. Fans will then be able to vote for their favorite player by visiting naismithtrophy.com/vote between March 19-30 to cast their ballot. The fan component counts for five percent of the overall final vote, and the winner of the Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year will be revealed on March 31.
Durr ranks third in the ACC and 40th in the country with 19.5 points per game. Her 19.9 points-per-game in ACC play lead the league. She is shooting 44.5 percent from deep (98-220), which leads the ACC and ranks 14th in the nation. Her 98 made 3-point field goals lead the ACC and rank 12th in the country.Â
"These 10 women represent the most outstanding players at the college level," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. "As many of them lead their teams into the postseason, we are excited to see them compete for the Citizen Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year honor, and we look forward to welcoming one of them to the Naismith family."
"We are thrilled to support these 10 women who have accomplished so much this season, both on and off the court," said Eric Horowitz, managing director U.S. and travel retail, Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc. "These players are the best of the best, and we look forward to seeing who will be honored as the Citizen Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year."
| NAME | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalani Brown | Jr. | C | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Jordin Canada | Sr. | G | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Asia Durr | Jr. | G | Louisville | ACC |
| Sabrina Ionescu | So. | G | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Kelsey Mitchell | Sr. | G | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Arike Ogunbowale | Jr. | G | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Katie Lou Samuelson | Jr. | G/F | UCONN | AAC |
| Victoria Vivians | Sr. | G | Mississippi State | SEC |
| Gabby Williams | Sr. | F | UCONN | AAC |
| A'ja Wilson | Sr. | F | South Carolina | SEC |
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced that Durr is one of five finalists for the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. Named after the first player, male or female, appointed to the All-America Team in four straight college seasons and a 1993 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the annual award in its inaugural year recognizes the top shooting guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball.
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A national committee of top women's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers narrowed the original award watch list of 20 players to 10 candidates and now just five finalists. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Ms. Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2018 Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Fans are encouraged to visit www.HoophallAwards.com to cast their votes March 2-23.
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"I think it is wonderful that the Basketball Hall of Fame and the WBCA have created positional awards to recognize elite female players in the college game today," Ann Meyers Drysdale said. "I look forward to watching these five finalists compete as they head into the postseason and elevate their games to help their teams advance."
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The five finalists for the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award are Katie Lou Samuelson (Connecticut), Asia Durr (Louisville), Victoria Vivians (Mississippi St.), Arike Ogunbowale (Notre Dame), and Kitija Laksa (South Florida).
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The winner of the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be announced during ESPN2's telecast of the national semifinal games in the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, March 30. The award will then be presented to the student-athlete on Saturday, March 31 at a new awards reception presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame and the WBCA and held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Each award will be presented by its respective Hall of Famer making this brunch a star-studded event.
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Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, as well as the Wade Trophy, the sport's oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award which is presented annually by the WBCA's community of coaches to the best player in college women's basketball.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Celebrating 50 Years of the Citizen Naismith Trophy
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, which have become the most prestigious national honors in all of college basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the Naismith Trophy recognizes the top Men's and Women's College Basketball Players of the Year. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the Men's and Women's College Basketball Coaches of the Year, Boys' and Girls' High School Basketball Players and Coaches of the Year, Basketball Officials and Outstanding Contributors to the game. Celebrating its 50th year by honoring past winners, the Citizen Naismith Trophy was first presented to UCLA's Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1969. Old Dominion's Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1983.
About Citizen: Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovative technology since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates "Better Starts Now," searching for and accomplishing goals that are cause driven. In this respect, Citizen aligns with organizations and personalities that reflect the values of the brand including the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, Naismith Awards, National Merit Scholarship, and Good360.
For over 40 years, Citizen's Eco-Drive technology has served as the prime example of how the brand is dedicated to making the world and its environment a better place. A simple yet revolutionary concept, Eco-Drive harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy, eliminating the need for any battery replacement.
About Ann Meyers Drysdale: Ann Meyers Drysdale's career escalated women's basketball to a new level. She was the first high school player to make the United States national team and the first woman to receive a full four-year athletic scholarship to UCLA. Her high-octane approach translated into wins and awards and she finished her impressive career at UCLA owning 12 of 13 school records including becoming the first player to record a quadruple double in UCLA history. A supremely talented all-around player with natural basketball ability and instincts, Meyers Drysdale was the first player, male or female, named to an All-America team in four straight seasons and was named Player of the Year during her senior year. While still at UCLA, she started on the first women's Olympic team in 1976. After an All-America career, she became the first player drafted into the Women's Basketball League and made history by becoming the first female player to tryout with an NBA team, the Indiana Pacers, with whom she signed a free agent contract. Meyers Drysdale pushed the envelope in women's basketball, bringing a feel and sense for the game that few players ever exhibited. In 2012, Meyers Drysdale became one of the first annual naming honorees on the women's side of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) with the organization's National Women's Player of the Year. Since retiring from professional play, she has had a very successful career as an NBA and WNBA executive, as well as a color commentator for the NBA, WNBA and the Olympic Games in 1984, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
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About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
For more information on the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, visit www.hoophallawards.com.
