Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics
Van Lith Named a Finalist for the Drysdale Award
February 28, 2023 | Women's Basketball
The award honors the nation’s top shooting guard
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — University of Louisville junior guard Hailey Van Lith was named one of five finalists for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Tuesday afternoon. The award honors the nation's top shooting guard and Van Lith is the first Louisville finalist for the award since Dana Evans back in 2021. The Cardinals have had a Drysdale Finalist in five of the last six seasons.
Van Lith has been the catalyst for the Cardinals all season long and leads the team with 19.4 points per game and is second with 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Her 19.4 points per game is third in the ACC and ranks 26th nationally. She ranks 12th nationally in minutes played (37.11), 16th in points (581) and 21st in field goals made (206). She has scored in double-figures in 28 of her 30 games played this year and has scored 20 or more points 15 times this year.
One of her best games of the season came in a road win over Florida State on Jan. 15. She scored 20 points, set a career high with eight assists, also had a career high with five steals and had eight rebounds. In the final minute, Van Lith hit a jumper as the shot clock was expiring to put the game out of reach. She is the only Power 5 player this season to score at least 20 points, have at least eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals in a single game. She was named ACC Player of the Week after her performance at Florida State and earlier in the week she scored a season-high 29 points on the road against #13 Virginia Tech.
Recently, Van Lith has been on a hot streak as she has scored 17 or more points in each of her previous seven games. She has scored 20 or more points in her last two games and has had multiple steals in four of her last six games.
2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Finalists
Keishana Washington, Drexel
Ta'Niya Latson, Florida State
Hailey Van Lith, Louisville
Diamond Miller, Maryland
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, March 3, on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In March, the finalists will be presented to Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is composed of top women's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2023 Meyers Drysdale Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the four other members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), the Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award are Christyn Williams, UConn (2022), Ashley Owusu, Maryland (2021), Aari McDonald, Arizona (2020), Asia Durr, Louisville (2019) and Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State (2018).
For more information on the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MeyersAward on Twitter and Instagram.
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981 or call 1-770-279-8027.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
Basketball Hall of Fame Media Contact
Patrick O'Connell, Position Sports // mediarelations@positionsports.com
Van Lith has been the catalyst for the Cardinals all season long and leads the team with 19.4 points per game and is second with 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Her 19.4 points per game is third in the ACC and ranks 26th nationally. She ranks 12th nationally in minutes played (37.11), 16th in points (581) and 21st in field goals made (206). She has scored in double-figures in 28 of her 30 games played this year and has scored 20 or more points 15 times this year.
One of her best games of the season came in a road win over Florida State on Jan. 15. She scored 20 points, set a career high with eight assists, also had a career high with five steals and had eight rebounds. In the final minute, Van Lith hit a jumper as the shot clock was expiring to put the game out of reach. She is the only Power 5 player this season to score at least 20 points, have at least eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals in a single game. She was named ACC Player of the Week after her performance at Florida State and earlier in the week she scored a season-high 29 points on the road against #13 Virginia Tech.
Recently, Van Lith has been on a hot streak as she has scored 17 or more points in each of her previous seven games. She has scored 20 or more points in her last two games and has had multiple steals in four of her last six games.
2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Finalists
Keishana Washington, Drexel
Ta'Niya Latson, Florida State
Hailey Van Lith, Louisville
Diamond Miller, Maryland
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, March 3, on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In March, the finalists will be presented to Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is composed of top women's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2023 Meyers Drysdale Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the four other members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), the Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men's Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award are Christyn Williams, UConn (2022), Ashley Owusu, Maryland (2021), Aari McDonald, Arizona (2020), Asia Durr, Louisville (2019) and Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State (2018).
For more information on the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MeyersAward on Twitter and Instagram.
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981 or call 1-770-279-8027.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
Basketball Hall of Fame Media Contact
Patrick O'Connell, Position Sports // mediarelations@positionsports.com
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