Press Release :: Women's Basketball Coaches Association

ATLANTA, Ga. - A national awards committee consisting of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators announced its preseason list for The State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year today. The list is comprised of 25 student-athletes who are members of an NCAA Division I institution and are selected based on the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability.

"The 2005-2006 State Farm Wade Trophy preseason list is an example of the top-notch athletes that contribute to making each collegiate basketball game an exciting new experience," said Jeanne Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the State Farm Wade Trophy Committee and Athletic Director at DePaul University. "These 25 student-athletes represent the most outstanding players on and off the court and we look forward to another outstanding year of women's basketball."

Out of the 25 student-athletes selected for the preseason "Wade Watch," twenty-two schools were represented with Louisiana State University (Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles), University of Maryland (Shay Doron and Crystal Langhorne), and the University of North Carolina (Erlana Larkins and Ivory Latta) each having two players selected.

The 25 student-athletes represented nine (9) Division I Conferences as the Atlantic Coast Conference led the way with seven (7). The Southeastern Conference came in a close second having four (4). The Pacific-10, Big East, and Big 12 followed with three (3) each, followed by the Big Ten with two (2). The Atlantic 10, Conference USA, and Mountain West each have one (1) player represented, respectively.

This year's preseason candidate list has a remarkable number of participants returning to the renowned "Wade Watch". Out of the 25 student-athletes, eleven were seen last year on The State Farm Wade Trophy Preseason list for Division I including Seimone Augustus, Nikki Blue, Monique Currie, Tiffany Jackson, Ivory Latta, Shawntinice Polk, Cappie Pondexter, Khara Smith, Kim Smith, Ann Strother, and Sophia Young.

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 28th 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 most 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).

Last year's The State Farm Wade Trophy recipient was Seimone Augustus (Louisiana State University). The first recipient of the Wade Trophy was Carol Blazejowski of Montclair State in 1978. Other Wade Trophy/NCAA Division I Player of the Year recipients include many WNBA standouts such as Teresa Weatherspoon (1988), Jennifer Azzi (1990), Ticha Penicheiro (1998), Sue Bird (2002), Diana Taurasi (2003) and Cheryl Miller (1985), in addition to, two-time winner Nancy Lieberman (1979 and 1980).

The 2006 State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be announced during the WBCA National Convention held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four in Boston, Mass., March 31-April 4, 2006.

2005-2006 The State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Preseason List

The pre-season candidates for The State Farm Wade Trophy, listed in alphabetical order, are as follows:

Name	Year	Pos.	Institution
1. Seimone Augustus	Senior	G	Louisiana State University
2. Nikki Blue	Senior	G	University of California at Los Angeles
3. Monique Currie	Senior	G/F	Duke University
4. Jessica Davenport	Junior	C	Ohio State University
5. Shay Doron	Junior	G	University of Maryland
6. Megan Duffy	Senior	G	University of Notre Dame
7. Candice Dupree	Senior	F/C	Temple University
8. Sylvia Fowles	Sophomore	C	Louisiana State University
9. Erin Grant	Senior	G	Texas Tech University
10.Tasha Humphrey	Sophomore	F	University of Georgia
11.Tiffany Jackson	Junior	F	University of Texas
12.Tamara James	Senior	G/F	University of Miami
13.Crystal Langhorne	Sophomore	C/F	University of Maryland
14.Erlana Larkins	Sophomore	F	University of North Carolina
15.Ivory Latta	Junior	G	University of North Carolina
16.Shawntinice Polk	Senior	C	University of Arizona
17.Cappie Pondexter	Senior	G	Rutgers University
18.Liz Shimek	Senior	F	Michigan State University
19.Khara Smith	Senior	F	DePaul University
20.Kim Smith	Senior	F	University of Utah
21.Tiffany Stansbury	Senior	F	North Carolina State University
22.Ann Strother	Senior	G/F	University of Connecticut
23.Candice Wiggins	Sophomore	G	Stanford University
24.Sophia Young	Senior	F	Baylor University
25.Shanna Zolman	Senior	G	University of Tennessee

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as an amateur sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.