March 24, 2009
ATLANTA - The State Farm Wade Trophy Committee along with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) announced that Maryland seniors Marissa Coleman and Kristi Toliver are among the 12 finalists in contention for The State Farm Wade Trophy.
Coleman and Toliver led third-ranked Maryland to its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship (regular season and tournament) since 1989. The Terrapins earned a No. 1 seed in the Raleigh Regional of the 2009 NCAA Tournament and dispatched of their first opponent, Dartmouth, by an 82-53 decision in Sunday's first round.
Toliver, from Harrisonburg, Va., was named ACC Player of the Year and paces the nation's third-highest scoring team with 18.7 points per game. She is Maryland's all-time leader in assists (second in ACC history) and is the nation's active leader in 3-point field goals (292). Her 83 treys this season are tops in the ACC and rank first in single-season school history.
Coleman, a four-time All-ACC selection after earning first team laurels this year, was named ACC Tournament MVP. The Cheltenham, Md., native is an incredibly versatile player that ranks in the top-15 in nine of the 10 major statistical categories in ACC play. She became first player in ACC history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 400 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocks and just the eighth player in league annals with 2,000 points and 1,000 career rebounds.
The candidates were selected by a vote of committee members comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators. Members of the committee will select the winner of The State Farm Wade Trophy from the 10-member Division I State Farm Coaches' All-America Team and will be announced at the State Farm Coaches' All-America Team Press Conference and The State Farm Wade Trophy Announcement during the WBCA National Convention on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at 9:45 a.m. CT.
"State Farm is extremely proud to recognize and congratulate these 12 outstanding athletes as finalists for the 2009 State Farm Wade Trophy", said Pam El, Marketing Vice President for State Farm. "Their dedication and commitment epitomize the true meaning of student-athlete and they are all very deserving of this great honor".
The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 32nd year, is named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade. This most prestigious award, regarded as "The Heisman of Women's Basketball", debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball.
The first recipient of the Wade Trophy was Carol Blazejowski of Montclair State in 1978. Other Wade Trophy/NCAA Division I Player of the Year recipients include many WNBA standouts such as Teresa Weatherspoon (1988), DeLisha Milton-Jones (1997), Candace Parker (2007), Ticha Penicheiro (1998), Sue Bird (2002) and Diana Taurasi (2003). Seimone Augustus (2005 and 2006) and Nancy Lieberman (1979 and 1980) are the award's only two-time recipients.
The State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be formally presented her award at the WBCA Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, April 7, at Noon CT in the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront. The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year presentation is part of the WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four in St Louis, Mo.
The State Farm Wade Trophy Finalists
Player (Year), School
Jayne Appel (Jr.), Stanford
DeWanna Bonner (Sr.), Auburn
Tina Charles (Jr.), Connecticut
Marissa Coleman (Sr.), Maryland
Jantel Lavender (So.), Ohio State
Angel McCoughtry (Sr.), Louisville
Renee Montgomery (Sr.), Connecticut
Maya Moore (So.), Connecticut
Courtney Paris (Sr.), Oklahoma
Kristi Toliver (Sr.), Maryland
Ashley Walker (Sr.), Cal
Monica Wright (Jr.), Virginia
