WACO, Texas – Baylor's Brittney Griner and Odyssey
Sims are both named to the watch list for national player of the year
honors for the Naismith Trophy and U.S. Basketball Writers
Association's (USBWA) Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.
Griner, a 6-8 senior post, received both awards last season and is a front runner to repeat this season.
Griner is averaging 22.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and
3.9 block a game while shooting an impressive .587 from the floor. She
ranks No. 4 on the NCAA Women's Division I's all-time scoring list with
3,045 points and owns the NCAA block shot record
with 709 career rejections so far.
Sims, a 5-8 guard, ranks second on the team in
scoring at 12.4 points a contest. She is among the nation's leaders in
assists (5.8 apg) and assist/turnover ratio (2.7).
The Atlanta Tip Off Club designated 30 top
candidate for the Naismith Women's College Player of the Year award. If
Griner repeats, she would become only the sixth player to win
back-to-back Women's Naismith Trophies. The top 30 candidates
were selected by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which
bases its criteria on player performance during the current season. The
voting academy will narrow the list down to four players in late March.
The Naismith Women's College Player of the
Year presented by AT&T will be presented on April 8, 2013.
For the ninth consecutive year, fans will have the
opportunity to text their votes and help determine the 2013 Naismith
Trophy winner. Voting will open to fans on Monday, March 25. Naismith Trophy presenting sponsor AT&T is making the
voting open to other wireless carriers, enabling even more fans to participate.
For a complete list of the top 30 candidates, please visit:
www.naismithswards.com
Griner and Sims are two of the 20 players named by
the USBWA for its Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch list.
Members of the association's board of directors chose the players to be
included, the list includes nine seniors, nine
juniors and two sophomores.
The award will be presented at the USBWA women's awards press conference on April 7 in the interview room of the New Orleans Arena (3:30 p.m. CT), prior to the start of the NCAA Women's Final Four semifinals.
For a complete list, please visit:
http://www.sportswriters.net/usbwa/news/2013/meyers130226.html
