Paris Leads Wade Trophy Candidates

Aug. 19, 2008

ATLANTA -- Oklahoma senior Courtney Paris leads the 25-member list of State Farm Wade Trophy preseason candidates, announced Tuesday by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

The Wade Trophy is presented to the NCAA Division I women's college basketball player of the year.

Paris has been a finalist for the award the past two seasons and, along with Maryland seniors Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver, is making her third appearance on the preseason watch list.

"Once again our committee has done an amazing job putting together a stellar group of student-athletes that have shown their leadership on the court, in the classroom and in the community," said committee chair Jeanne Lenti Ponsetto. "Each one represents all that this award is about, and I look forward to April when we will name another talented woman to this prestigious list."

2008-09 Oklahoma Schedule

The “Wade Watch” is comprised of the top student-athletes who best embody the spirit of Lily Margaret Wade according to the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability. Players are selected by a committee of leading coaches, journalists and basketball administrators.

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 32nd year and named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade, debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball. This highly prestigious award, regarded as the "Heisman of Women's Basketball", is organized by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in conjunction with the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).

The 2009 State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be announced at the WBCA National Convention held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four in St. Louis, Mo., April 3-7, 2009.

Stanford's Candace Wiggins was 2008's Wade Trophy recipient.

2008-09 State Farm Wade Trophy Preseason List
The preseason candidates for the State Farm Wade Trophy are listed in alphabetical order:

Name	Year	Position	Institution
Jayne Appel	Junior	C	Stanford
Chante Black	Senior	C	Duke
DeWanna Bonner	Senior	G	Auburn
Tina Charles	Junior	C	Connecticut
Marissa Coleman	Senior	G/F	Maryland
Allyssa DeHaan	Junior	C	Michigan State
Krystal Ellis	Senior	G	Marquette
Devanei Hampton	Senior	C	Cal
Jantel Lavender	Sophomore	C	Ohio State
Rashanda McCants	Senior	G/F	North Carolina
Angel McCoughtry	Senior	F	Louisville
Renee Montgomery	Senior	G	Connecticut
Maya Moore	Sophomore	F	Connecticut
Courtney Paris	Senior	C	Oklahoma
Kayla Pederson	Sophomore	F	Stanford
Epiphanny Prince	Junior	G	Rutgers
Andrea Riley	Junior	G	Oklahoma State
Takia Starks	Senior	G	Texas A&M
Kristi Toliver	Senior	G	Maryland
Kia Vaughn	Senior	C	Rutgers
Ashley Walker	Senior	F	Cal
Abby Waner	Senior	G	Duke
Christina Wirth	Senior	G/F	Vanderbilt
Monica Wright	Junior	G	Virginia
Shavonte Zellous	Senior	G	Pittsburgh

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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