Virginia's Monica Wright Named To Preseason ?Wade Watch? List
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ATLANTA Virginia junior guard Monica Wright has been named a member of the 2008-09 preseason “Wade Watch” list for the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Tuesday.
Wright was an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American last season after leading the Cavaliers in scoring (17.6 points per game) and steals (2.4 per game). The Woodbridge, Va., native’s postseason accolades also included a spot on the WBCA’s Region 2 All-America team, the All-ACC second team, ACC all-defensive team and ACC all-tournament team.
She notched her 1,000th-career point and set the single-season scoring record by a UVa sophomore with 598 points in 2007-08 and captained USA Basketball’s Under-19 World Championship team prior to the start of the season. During her freshman campaign in 2006-07, Wright was the ACC Rookie of the Year and a unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman team.
The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 32nd year and named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade, debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women’s national player of the year award in college basketball. This highly prestigious award, regarded as the “Heisman of Women’s Basketball”, is organized by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in conjunction with the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).
“Once again our committee has done an amazing job putting together a stellar group of student-athletes that have shown their leadership on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” said committee chair Jeanne Lenti Ponsetto. “Each one represents all that this award is about, and I look forward to April when we will name another talented woman to this prestigious list.”
The WBCA, on behalf of the Wade Coalition, released its 25-member list of the top Division I student-athletes who best embody the spirit of Lily Margaret Wade according to the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability.
The 2009 State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be announced at the WBCA National Convention held in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four in St. Louis, Mo., April 3-7, 2009.
2008-09 State Farm Wade Trophy Preseason List
The preseason candidates for the State Farm Wade Trophy are listed in alphabetical order:
Name, Year, Position, Institution
Jayne Appel, Jr., C, Stanford
Chante Black, Sr., C, Duke
DeWanna Bonner, Sr., G, Auburn
Tina Charles, Jr., C, Connecticut
Marissa Coleman, Sr., G/F, Maryland
Allyssa DeHaan, Jr., C, Michigan State
Krystal Ellis, Sr., G, Marquette
Devanei Hampton, Sr., C, California
Jantel Lavender, So., C, Ohio State
Rashanda McCants, Sr., G/F, North Carolina
Angel McCoughtry, Sr., F, Louisville
Renee Montgomery, Sr., G, Connecticut
Maya Moore, So., F, Connecticut
Courtney Paris, Sr., C, Oklahoma
Kayla Pederson, So., F, Stanford
Epiphanny Prince, Jr., G, Rutgers
Andrea Riley, Jr., G, Oklahoma State
Takia Starks, Sr., G, Texas A&M
Kristi Toliver, Sr., G, Maryland
Kia Vaughn, Sr., C, Rutgers
Ashley Walker, Sr., F, California
Abby Waner, Sr., G, Duke
Christina Wirth, Sr., G/F, Vanderbilt
Monica Wright, Jr., G, Virginia
Shavonte Zellous, Sr., G, Pittsburgh