Familiar Names Headline the 2021 Women’s Player of the Year Competition with 50 Players Vying for Top Honor
ATLANTA (November 17, 2020) – The 2021 Women’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Watch List, announced today by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, is headlined by Rhyne Howard of Kentucky, who was a 2020 finalist for the trophy, and the 2020 Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Girls Trophy winner, Paige Bueckers, now a freshman at UConn. Overall, the list of 50 women’s players represents 11 national conferences with the Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC having nine players each. UConn, which has won more Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophies (10) than any other school, leads the group with four players included, followed by Baylor, the 2019 NCAA Women’s Basketball Champion, and Stanford with three candidates apiece.
“The competition for the 2021 Women’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy will intensify 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. “While last season was unlike any college basketball season we’ve experienced, we hope these athletes have the opportunity to compete through their entire schedule this season and showcase the full breadth of their abilities and talent.”
The midseason 30 team will be announced in early February; players who do not make the watch list are still eligible to be selected for the midseason 30 team. Then, the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists on March 2, 2021, and four finalists will be named on March 19, 2021. The winner of the 2021 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year will be announced on April 3, 2021.
“As we sponsor the collegiate honor for the first year, Jersey Mike’s is excited to partner with the Naismith Trophy,” said Rich Hope, chief marketing officer, Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. “We look forward to following these great athletes throughout the season and honoring one of these talented players as the winner of the 2021 Women’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy.”
2021 Women’s Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | CLASS | POS | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aliyah | Boston | So. | F | South Carolina | SEC |
| Sam | Brunelle | So. | F | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Paige | Bueckers | Fr. | G | UConn | BIG EAST |
| DiJonai | Carrington | Sr. | G | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Jessika | Carter | Jr. | F/C | Mississippi St. | SEC |
| Charli | Collier | Jr. | F/C | Texas | Big 12 |
| Zia | Cooke | So. | G | South Carolina | SEC |
| Elissa | Cunane | Jr. | C | NC State | ACC |
| Rennia | Davis | Sr. | G/F | Tennessee | SEC |
| Chelsea | Dungee | Sr. | G | Arkansas | SEC |
| Dana | Evans | Sr. | G | Louisville | ACC |
| Aleah | Goodman | Sr. | G | Oregon State | Pac-12 |
| Vivian | Gray | Sr. | G | Texas Tech | Big 12 |
| Arella | Guirantes | Sr. | G | Rutgers | Big Ten |
| Lauren | Heard | Sr. | G | TCU | Big 12 |
| Lexi | Held | Jr. | G | DePaul | BIG EAST |
| Naz | Hillmon | Jr. | F | Michigan | Big Ten |
| Rhyne | Howard | Jr. | G | Kentucky | SEC |
| Lexie | Hull | Jr. | G | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Rickea | Jackson | So. | F | Mississippi St. | SEC |
| Ashley | Joens | Jr. | G/F | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Taylor | Jones | So. | F | Oregon State | Pac-12 |
| Haley | Jones | So. | G | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| N'dea | Jones | Sr. | F | Texas A&M | SEC |
| Dorka | Juhász | Jr. | F | Ohio State | Big Ten |
| Ayoka | Lee | So. | C | Kansas State | Big 12 |
| Kiara | Lewis | Sr. | G | Syracuse | ACC |
| Natasha | Mack | Sr. | F | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| Tiana | Mangakahia | Sr. | G | Syracuse | ACC |
| Aari | McDonald | Sr. | G | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| Nancy | Mulkey | Sr. | C | Rice | C-USA |
| Olivia | Nelson-Ododa | Jr. | F | UConn | BIG EAST |
| Michaela | Onyenwere | Sr. | F | UCLA | Pac-12 |
| Ashley | Owusu | So. | G | Maryland | Big Ten |
| Ali | Patberg | Sr. | G | Indiana | Big Ten |
| Chelsey | Perry | Sr. | F | Tennessee-Martin | OVC |
| Lasha | Petree | Jr. | G | Bradley | MVC |
| Alissa | Pili | So. | F | USC | Pac-12 |
| Lindsey | Pulliam | Sr. | G | Northwestern | Big Ten |
| Cate | Reese | Jr. | F | Arizona | Pac-12 |
| DiDi | Richards | Sr. | G | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Destiny | Slocum | Sr. | G | Arkansas | SEC |
| NaLyssa | Smith | Jr. | F | Baylor | Big 12 |
| Taylor | Soule | Jr. | F | Boston College | ACC |
| Jill | Townsend | Sr. | G | Gonzaga | WCC |
| Maddi | Utti | Sr. | F | Fresno St. | MWC |
| Hailey | Van Lith | Fr. | G | Louisville | ACC |
| Evina | Westbrook | Jr. | G | UConn | BIG EAST |
| Kiana | Williams | Sr. | G | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Christyn | Williams | Jr. | G | UConn | BIG EAST |
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 Jersey Mike’s 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 Jersey Mike’s and Werner Ladder.
ABOUT JERSEY MIKE’S SUBS
Jersey Mike’s Subs, with more than 2,500 locations open and under development nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike’s local communities is reflective in its mission statement “Giving…making a difference in someone’s life.” For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), and Twitter (twitter.com/jerseymikes.com).
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Media Contact:
Traci Messier
Jackson Spalding for the Atlanta Tipoff Club
706-816-6022