SPRINGFIELD, MASS. - Megan Duffy, a 5'7" guard from the University of Notre Dame, is the 2006 recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, presented annually by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation's outstanding female collegian 5'8" and under who has excelled both athletically and academically.

Duffy's well-blended success, both on the court and in the classroom, is well above par. This outstanding student-athlete ranks among the top 10 in the BIG EAST in scoring, assists, steals, free throw percentage, three-pointers made per game and assist/turnover ratio. She is ranked nationally in free throw percentage standing at 11th. Duffy has scored in double figures 23 out of 27 games this season.

Duffy was named to the preseason renowned "Wade Watch" list in quest of the coveted State Farm Wade Trophy. She ranks among the top 10 in school history in 11 career categories, most notably free throw percentage where she also ranks 15th in NCAA record books. Holding strong at 13th in the Irish record books, Duffy tallies 1,239 points and counting.

Off the court, Duffy has most recently been named a first-team Academic All-American, becoming only the second Irish women's basketball player to receive the honor. Currently posting a 3.555 cumulative grade-point average (GPA), Duffy is enrolled in the College of Arts and Letters where she is pursuing a double major in psychology and computer applications. In 2005, Duffy garnered honors as a member of the CoSIDA Academic All-District V Second Team and has been named to the BIG EAST Academic All-Star Team three years and running (2003, 2004, 2005).

"We are proud to honor Ms. Duffy with the 2006 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award", stated John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "The combination of her success on the court and her achievements in the classroom as a student athlete make her a deserving recipient who exemplifies the qualities this award is designed to celebrate."

The Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award is named in honor of James Naismith's daughter-in-law. A panel of representatives from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association selects the recipient. To earn the award, the recipient must demonstrate leadership, character, loyalty, all-around basketball ability and excellence in the classroom. Duffy will be formally recognized at the WBCA Awards Luncheon presented by State Farm and Jostens at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, April 2, 2006, in the Hynes Convention Center Ballroom. This event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four® in Boston, Mass.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame pays tribute to the game's inventor, Dr. James Naismith. Located in Springfield, Mass., "the Birthplace of Basketball", the world's only Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves men's and women's basketball at every level - professional, collegiate, scholastic, Olympic, international and wheelchair.

Previous Winners of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award

1984 Kim Mulkey, Louisiana Tech
1985 Maria Stack, Gonzaga
1986 Kamie Ethridge, Texas
1987 Rhonda Windham, Southern California
1988 Suzie McConnell, Penn State
1989 Paulette Backstrom, Bowling Green
1990 Julie Dabrowski, New Hampshire College
1991 Shanya Evans, Providence College
1992 Rosemary Kisorek, West Virginia
1993 Dena Evans, Virginia
1994 Nicole Levesque, Wake Forest
1995 Amy Dodrill, Johns Hopkins
1996 Jennifer Rizzotti, University of Connecticut
1997 Jennifer Howard, North Carolina State
1998 Angie Arnold, Johns Hopkins
1999 Becky Hammon, Colorado State
2000 Helen Darling, Penn State
2001 Niele Ivey, Notre Dame
2002 Sheila Lambert, Baylor
2003 Kara Lawson, Tennessee
2004 Erika Valek, Purdue
2005 Tan White, Mississippi State

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 in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls. For more information about the WBCA, please visit WBCA.org.