NEW YORK – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the 20 watch list candidates for the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. Named after the first player, male or female, named to the All-America Team in four straight college seasons, the annual award in its inaugural year recognizes the top shooting guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. Of the 20 candidates, five are from BIG EAST schools in DePaul’s Ashton Millender, Marquette’s Natisha Hiedeman and Allazia Blockton, Providence’s Jovana Nogic and St. John’s Akina Wellere.
The Selection Committee for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Drysdale and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
Millender played just nine games last season before being sidelined with an injury, averaging 12.8 points. As a sophomore in 2015-16, Millender came off the bench in all 36 games to average 7.6 points per game, helping DePaul to advance to the Sweet 16.
Blockton was unanimously selected at the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year last month, with the junior coming off a remarkable campaign in 2016-17 which included leading the Golden Eagles to their first BIG EAST Tournament title. She led the BIG EAST in scoring over 33 games overall, averaging 17.1 per game. Hiedeman is one Marquette’s most potent deep threats, already ranking 10
th all-time in program history with 142 triples made. She averaged 13.9 points per game to rank in the top 10 in the conference last season.
Nogic enjoyed an impressive sophomore season with the Friars in 2016-17. She led the team in scoring with an average of 14.5 points per game, seventh in the BIG EAST, and also contributed 2.7 rebounds and team-best 1.3 steals per game. A proven threat from beyond the arc, Nogic set the program’s single-season record for three-point makes (91).
Wellere finished second on St. John’s with 11.3 points per game as a sophomore last year. Additionally, she finished third on the squad with 38 assists and 29 steals. The 5-foot-10 guard also grabbed 3.6 rebounds per game and averaged 29.9 minutes per contest. Wellere’s .458 clip from beyond the arc led the BIG EAST last season.
The winner of the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be announced at an inaugural awards ceremony hosted by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, and ESPN at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Columbus, Ohio. ESPN broadcast information will be released at a later date.
2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Candidates
| Darby Maggard |
Belmont |
| Katie Lou Samuelson |
Connecticut |
| Ashton Millender |
DePaul |
| Rebecca Greenwell |
Duke |
| Asia Durr |
Louisville |
| Chloe Jackson |
LSU |
| Natisha Hiedeman |
Marquette |
| Allazia Blockton |
Marquette |
| Kaila Charles |
Maryland |
| Victoria Vivians |
Mississippi State |
| Arike Ogunbowale |
Notre Dame |
| Lexi Bando |
Oregon |
| Jovana Nogic |
Providence |
| Jaycee Bradley |
South Dakota |
| Kitija Laksa |
South Florida |
| Akina Wellere |
St. John's |
| Brittany McPhee |
Stanford |
| Dannie Williams |
Texas A&M |
| Kennedy Burke |
UCLA |
| Tynice Martin |
West Virginia |
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2017-18 season*
About Ann Meyers Drysdale: Ann Meyers Drysdale's career escalated women's basketball to a new level. She was the first high school player to make the United States national team and the first woman to receive a full four-year athletic scholarship to UCLA. Her high-octane approach translated into wins and awards and she finished her impressive career at UCLA owning 12 of 13 school records including becoming the first player to record a quadruple double in UCLA history. A supremely talented all-around player with natural basketball ability and instincts, Meyers Drysdale was the first player, male or female, named to an All-America team in four straight seasons and was named Player of the Year during her senior year. While still at UCLA, she started on the first women's Olympic team in 1976. After an All-America career, she became the first player drafted into the Women's Basketball League and made history by becoming the first female player to tryout with an NBA team, the Indiana Pacers, with whom she signed a free agent contract. Meyers Drysdale pushed the envelope in women's basketball, bringing a feel and sense for the game that few players ever exhibited. Since retiring from professional play, she has had a very successful career as an NBA and WNBA executive, as well as a color commentator for the NBA, WNBA and the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate and high school, for both men and women on the global stage.
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