Fifty Candidates Vying for the 2020 Women’s Player of the Year Honor
ATLANTA (November 6, 2019) – Today, the Atlanta Tipoff Club released the 50 players on the Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List. The midseason 30 team will be announced in early February, and then the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists on March 3, 2020. Following those results, four finalists will be named on March 20, 2020, and the winner of the 2020 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year will be announced on April 4, 2020.
“The competition for the 2020 Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy will heat up as more players enter the competition throughout the season, but these 50 candidates are the early contenders to watch,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “We are excited to watch these women play and compete as we have another great year of college basketball ahead.”
Overall, 11 players on the women’s watch list represent the Pac-12, and the Big 12 is a close runner-up with 10 candidates included. Oregon leads the pack with four players followed by Baylor, the 2019 NCAA Women’s Basketball Champion, and UConn, which has won more Citizen Naismith Trophies (10) than any other school with three candidates apiece.
“While only one player can win the Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy, each of the players on the watch list has shown the passion and drive worthy of the honor thus far,” said Eric Horowitz, managing director U.S. and travel retail, Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc. “We are looking forward to watching them continue to compete for the title of Women’s Player of the Year.”
2020 Women's Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List
| FIRST | LAST | CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bella | Alarie | Sr. | G/F | Princeton | IVY |
| Shakira | Austin | So. | F | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Elizabeth | Balogun | So. | G | Louisville | ACC |
| Erin | Boley | Jr. | F | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Brittany | Brewer | Sr. | F | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| DiJonai | Carrington | Sr. | G | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Chennedy | Carter | Jr. | G | Texas A&M | SEC |
| Kaila | Charles | Sr. | G | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Shay | Colley | Sr. | G | Michigan State | Big Ten |
| Te'a | Cooper | Sr. | G | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Lauren | Cox | Sr. | F | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Elissa | Cunane | So. | C | NC State | ACC |
| Jordan | Danberry | Sr. | G | Mississippi State | SEC |
| Crystal | Dangerfield | Sr. | G | UConn | AAC |
| Rennia | Davis | Jr. | G/F | Tennessee | SEC |
| Japreece | Dean | Sr. | G | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Chelsea | Dungee | Jr. | G | Arkansas | SEC |
| Kiah | Gillespie | Sr. | F | FSU | ACC |
| Haley | Gorecki | Sr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| Vivian | Gray | Jr. | F | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| Ae'Rianna | Harris | Sr. | F | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Tyasha | Harris | Sr. | G | South Carolina | SEC |
| Ruthy | Hebard | Sr. | F | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Naz | Hillmon | So. | F | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Joyner | Holmes | Sr. | F | Texas | Big 12 |
| Rhyne | Howard | So. | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Sabrina | Ionescu | Sr. | G | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Stella | Johnson | Sr. | G | Rider | MAAC |
| Aislinn | Konig | Sr. | G | NC State | ACC |
| Juicy | Landrum | Sr. | G | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Tynice | Martin | Sr. | G | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Aari | McDonald | Jr. | G | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Ayana | Mitchell | Sr. | F | LSU | SEC |
| Beatrice | Mompremier | Sr. | F | Miami | ACC |
| Erica | Ogwumike | Sr. | G | Rice | C-USA |
| Michaela | Onyenwere | Jr. | F | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Ali | Patberg | Jr. | G | Indiana | Big Ten |
| Mikayla | Pivec | Sr. | G | Oregon State | Pac-12 |
| Satou | Sabally | Jr. | F | Oregon | Pac-12 |
| Shadeen | Samuels | Sr. | F | Seton Hall | BIG EAST |
| Kristin | Scott | Jr. | F/C | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Destiny | Slocum | Jr. | G | Oregon State | Pac-12 |
| Amber | Smith | Sr. | G | Missouri | SEC |
| Chante | Stonewall | Sr. | F | DePaul | BIG EAST |
| Sug | Sutton | Sr. | G | Texas | Big 12 |
| Megan | Walker | Jr. | F | UConn | AAC |
| Peyton | Williams | Sr. | F | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| Kiana | Williams | Jr. | G | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Christyn | Williams | So. | G | UConn | AAC |
| Kay Kay | Wright | Sr. | G | UCF | AAC |
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men’s and women’s college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men’s and women’s college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA’s Lew Alcindor received the first Citizen Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women’s recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Citizen Watch Company, Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
ABOUT CITIZEN
Citizen, a pioneer in watchmaking and innovation since 1918, promotes excellence and creativity with a deep-rooted respect for craftsmanship. Citizen advocates “Better Starts Now,” searching for and accomplishing goals that cultivate positive change. Driven to create timepieces enjoyed by citizens all over the world, Citizen formed an alliance partnership with Disney in 2018, another powerhouse brand with similar values. With a long-term partnership in place, Citizen participates in activations surrounding the Disney Parks, Marvel, Star Wars and more. Citizen is the Official Timepiece of both Walt Disney World and Disneyland with branded clocks in both theme parks.
For over 40 years, Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology has served as the prime example of how the brand is dedicated to making the world and its environment a better place. A simple yet revolutionary concept, Eco-Drive harnesses the power of light from any natural or artificial light source and converts it into energy, eliminating the need for any battery replacement.
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Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
404-214-3596