SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (March 25, 2003) -- Kara Lawson, a 5-foot-8 guard and a four-time Southeastern Conference First-Team selection from No. 4-ranked Tennessee, has been named the recipient of the 20th annual Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, presented by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation's outstanding female collegian 5-feet-8 and under who has excelled athletically and academically.

Lawson becomes the first SEC player to win the award, which was established in 1984. She was the only UT player chosen to the SEC All-Tournament Team following the conference tournament on March 6-9 and is only the third player in Lady Vol history to be named an All-Conference selection four straight years. Lawson will receive her award on Saturday, April 5 at the Jostens-Berenson Awards Luncheon at the WBCA National Convention held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, named in honor of James Naismith's daughter-in-law, was selected by a panel of representatives from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). To earn the award, the recipient must demonstrate leadership, character, loyalty, all-around basketball ability and excellence in the classroom. Lawson, a native of Alexandria, Virginia, was a finalist for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, remains one of 13 finalists for the State Farm Wade Trophy as the top player in women's basketball and is one of 12 finalists for the Nancy Lieberman award as the best point guard in NCAA Division I.

The catalyst behind Tennessee's 28-4 regular season record, Lawson was also selected to the Kodak/WBCA All-America team. Lawson averaged 14.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 3.5 apg, this season, second best for the Lady Vols. She ranks fifth all-time in scoring (1,895 points) at Tennessee and is the school's all-time leader in three-point field goals made (250). She also ranks first in free-throw shooting (.84 percent) and seventh in assists (437). A starter in 133 of 139 games at Tennessee, Lawson capped off her senior season on "Senior Night," when she scored a career-high 31 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out five assists and went a perfect 6-of-6 from three-point range. Her career high is 32 points against Mississippi State on March 8, 2003.

Most impressively, Lawson has been nominated for the University of Tennessee's "Torchbearer" award, which is the most prestigious honor that can be bestowed on a Tennessee student.