Aug. 15, 2007
ATLANTA --- The 2007-08 preseason "Wade Watch" list for the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year was announced Tuesday by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, and North Carolina senior forward
Erlana Larkins was among the candidates. The 25-member list, selected by a committee of leading coaches, journalists and basketball administrators, is comprised of top Division I student-athletes who best embody the spirit of Margaret Wade according to the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability.
"I believe the committee did an outstanding job choosing a group of student-athletes that excels both on and off the court," said Jeanne Lenti Ponsetto, Chair of the State Farm Wade Trophy Committee and Athletic Director at DePaul University. "These 25 skilled and talented young women represent the best the college game has to offer. With the level of play increasing year-by-year, we are sure to see yet another season of top-notch, exciting competition."
Larkins returns for her senior season after three standout years in Chapel Hill. The Riviera Beach, Fla., product was a third-team AP All-America honoree and was named first-team All-ACC. She nearly averaged a double-double in 2006-07, scoring 12.9 points per game and grabbing a team-high 9.4 rebounds per contest.
In addition to Larkins, the other members of the Wade Watch list include: Matee Ajavon (Rutgers), Charel Allen (Notre Dame), Jolene Anderson (Wisconsin), Nicky Anosike (Tennessee), Jayne Appel (Stanford), Essence Carson (Rutgers), Tina Charles (Connecticut), Marissa Coleman (Maryland), Sylvia Fowles (LSU), Devanei Hampton (California), Alexis Hornbuckle (Tennessee), Tasha Humphrey (Georgia), Crystal Kelly (Western Kentucky), Crystal Langhorne (Maryland), Angel McCoughtry (Louisville), Renee Montgomery (Connecticut), Marscilla Packer (Ohio State), Courtney Paris (Oklahoma), Candace Parker (Tennessee), Kristi Toliver (Maryland), Kia Vaughn (Rutgers), Marcedes Walker (Pittsburgh), Abby Waner (Duke) and Candice Wiggins (Stanford).
The BIG EAST leads the list in numbers with eight student-athletes. The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference both have five followed by the Pacific-10 with three, the Big Ten with two and the Big 12 and Sun Belt both with one representative.
Fowles, Humphrey, Larkins, Wiggins and Langhorne have all become very familiar with the "Wade Watch" list with this being their third consecutive selection. Six others are making their second appearance including Kelly, Paris, Ajavon, Coleman, Parker and Toliver.
Should Parker repeat as the State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year, she would become only the third recipient to receive the award twice. The only other 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 30th 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).
The 2008 State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be announced at the WBCA National Convention held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa, Fla., April 5-8, 2008.
