Top Female Collegiate Power Forwards Named as Contenders for “Naismith Starting Five”
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced the Top 10 candidates for the 2023 Katrina McClain Award.
Named after the two-time All-American and 1987 National Player of the Year, the annual award in its sixth year recognizes the top power forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
2023 Katrina McClain Award Candidates*
|
Esmery Martinez |
Arizona |
Angel Reese |
LSU |
|
Cate Reese |
Arizona |
Cameron Brink |
Stanford |
|
Erynn Barnum |
Arkansas |
Aaliyah Edwards |
UConn |
|
Lauren Gustin |
BYU |
Alissa Pili |
Utah |
|
Aneesah Morrow |
DePaul |
Maddy Siegrist |
Villanova |
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2022-23 season.
Fans can support their favorite players in the remaining rounds by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, February 3 on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In March the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Katrina McClain Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2023 Katrina McClain Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award are NaLyssa Smith, Baylor (2021-22), Ruthy Hebard, Oregon (2018, ‘20) and Napheesa Collier, Connecticut (2019).
For more information on the 2023 Katrina McClain Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #McClainAward on Twitter and Instagram.
---
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981 or call 1-770-279-8027.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.