March 23, 2010
ATLANTA - Gonzaga University women's basketball junior point guard Courtney Vandersloot was chosen as one of 12 finalists for the State Farm Wade Trophy as the list was announced Tuesday by 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).
Vandersloot spot among the final dozen elite marks the first time in her career she has made the cut after 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 and The State Farm Wade Trophy Announcement during the WBCA National Convention in San Antonio, held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four®. The announcement, which is open to the public, will be made on Saturday, April 3, 2010, at 1:05 p.m. CT on Center Court at the Alamodome as a part of the NCAA's Super Saturday events.
"State Farm is extremely proud to recognize and congratulate these 12 outstanding athletes as finalists for The 2010 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."
Vandersloot, the 2010 West Coast Conference Player of the Year, has helped Gonzaga to it's first-ever NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen. The Kent, Wash., native currently leads the nation in assists per game at 9.4 per contest, is sixth in steals per game (3.5) and tenth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2). Vandersloot currently leads the nation is assists per game (9.3), is sixth in steals per game (3.5) and tenth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.37). Vandersloot was named All-WCC conference for the third straight season and was tabbed the WCC Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second straight year after helping guide the Bulldogs to their third WCC title in four years. Vandersloot is averaging 14.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per contest and is shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 74.6 percent at the charity stripe.
The State Farm Wade Trophy Finalists are as follows:
Player Name Institution Year Position
Jayne Appel Stanford University Sr. C
Tina Charles University of Connecticut Sr. C
Alysha Clark Middle Tennessee State Univ. Sr. F
Kelsey Griffin University of Nebraska Sr. G
Jantel Lavender Ohio State University Jr. C
Maya Moore University of Connecticut Jr. F
Nnemkadi Ogwumike Stanford University Soph. F
Samantha Prahalis Ohio State University Soph. G
Danielle Robinson University of Oklahoma Jr. G
Jasmine Thomas Duke University Jr. G
Courtney Vandersloot Gonzaga University Jr. G
Monica Wright University of Virginia Sr. G
The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 33rd 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.
Last year's State Farm Wade Trophy winner was Connecticut's Maya Moore. 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 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 ten years the two have worked together to present The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. A committee comprised of coaches, administrators and media from across the United States selects the winner.
The State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be formally presented her award at the WBCA Awards Luncheon presented by State Farm and Jostens at Noon CT on Tuesday, April 6, at the Marriott Rivercenter Grand Ballroom. This event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four® in San Antonio, Texas.
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 17,700 agents and more than 67,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - almost 79 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 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. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.
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
