WBCA Announces Preseason Selections for the 2009-2010 "Wade Watch"

ATLANTA - The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), on behalf of the Wade Coalition, announced the 2009-2010 preseason "Wade Watch" list for The State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year. The 25-member list is made up of top NCAA 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.

“I am excited to announce the 25 student-athletes who make up the 2009-2010 State Farm Wade Trophy ‘Watch’ list,”said Jeanne Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the State Farm Wade Trophy Committee and Athletic Director at DePaul University. “The committee has done a superb job yet again at selecting the best and brightest in the women’s game. This group represents 20 institutions and 10 conferences and if it is any indicator of what’s to come this season, I think we all have a lot to look forward to.”

This year's list has 20 institutions and 10 conferences represented. Connecticut and Stanford each have three student-athletes on the list - Tina Charles, Tiffany Hayes and Maya Moore from the Huskies - and - Jayne Appel, Kayla Pederson and Jeannette Pohlen from the Cardinal. Ohio State added two (Jantel Lavender and Samantha Prahalis) to the list.

The ACC, BIG EAST, Big Ten and Pac-10 each have four student-athletes on the list, followed by the Big 12 (3), SEC (2), Atlantic-10 (1), Mountain West (1), Sun Belt (1) and West Coast (1).

Two seniors in Appel and Charles are making the list for the third year. Five others become two-time "Wade Watchers" including Allyssa DeHaan (Michigan State), Jantel Lavender (Ohio State), Pederson (Stanford), Andrea Riley (Oklahoma State) and Monica Wright (Virginia).

The only two-time winners of the Wade Trophy include Louisiana State's Seimone Augustus (2005 and 2006) and Old Dominion's Nancy Lieberman (1979 and 1980).

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 33rd 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 WBCA, in conjunction with the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).

The 2010 State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be announced at the WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four, in San Antonio, Texas, April 2-6.

2009-2010 State Farm Wade Trophy Preseason List
The preseason candidates for The State Farm Wade Trophy are listed in alphabetical order:

Jayne Appel Senior F/C Stanford
Jessica Breland Senior F North Carolina
Tina Charles Senior C/F Connecticut
Alysha Clark Senior F Middle Tennessee
Allyssa DeHaan Senior C Michigan State
Alexis Gray-Lawson Senior G Cal
Tiffany Hayes Sophomore G Connecticut
Allison Hightower Senior G LSU
Ashley Houts Senior G Georgia
Jantel Lavender Junior C Ohio State
Danielle McCray Senior G/F Kansas
Jacinta Monroe Senior F/C Florida State
Maya Moore Junior F Connecticut
Jené Morris Senior G San Diego State
Deirdre Naughton Senior G DePaul
Kayla Pederson Junior F Stanford
Ta'Shia Phillips Junior C Xavier
Jeanette Pohlen Junior G Stanford
Samantha Prahalis Sophomore G Ohio State
Andrea Riley Junior G Oklahoma State
Danielle Robinson Junior G Oklahoma
Jenna Smith Senior C Illinois
Carolyn Swords Junior C Boston College
Courtney Vandersloot Junior G Gonzaga
Monica Wright Senior G Virginia

The Wade Trophy Coalition was established in June of 2000 when the WBCA partnered with The National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS). For the past eight years the two have worked together to present The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. A committee comprised of coaches, administration and media from across the United States selects the winner.

About State Farm
State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees serve more than 78 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 2 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 32 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.

About the NAGWS
The National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) was established to develop and deliver equitable and quality sport opportunities for ALL girls and women through relevant research, advocacy, leadership development, educational strategies, and programming in a manner that promotes social justice and change.

About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.