Fall Awards – 2024
**All deadlines end at 5 p.m. ET, unless otherwise indicated.
| Name of Award | Description of Award | Who’s Eligible to Recieve it? | Who can Submit Nominations? | Nominations Begin | End | Do I get to Vote for Recipient(s)? | |
| Carol Eckman Integrity in Coaching Award | Presented to an active head or assistant coach who best demonstrates the character of the late Carol Eckman. | Any active WBCA head or assistant coach at the NCAA DI, DII DIII, NAIA or two-year college level. | Any WBCA member head and/or assistant coach at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA or two-year college level. | Sept. 16 | Oct. 18 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. |
| Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship | The $1,000 scholarship award is presented to one senior player who intends to pursue a career in law. Any applicant is only eligible to win one scholarship award. | Any senior player who intends to pursue a career in law. | Any WBCA member head coach at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII or NAIA level can nominate any player on his/her team who meets the criteria. | Sept. 16 | Oct. 18 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. |
| Berenson Lifetime Achievement Award | Recognizes those individuals who have maintained a professional life-long commitment of service to the game of women’s basketball. | Former coaches, former players or others (i.e. corporate sponsors, media, administrators, referees, educators, managers) who meet criteria. | Former coaches, former players or others (i.e. corporate sponsors, media, administrators, referees, educators, managers) who meet criteria. | Sept. 16 | Oct. 18 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. |
| Mel Greenberg Media Award | Recognizes a media person who has displayed a commitment to women’s basketball and to advancing the role of the media in promoting the women’s game. | All writers, commentators, reporters, radio announcers, sports information personnel, promotions/marketing personnel and photographers are eligible. | Any WBCA member head and/or assistant coach at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, two-year college or high school level. | Sept. 16 | Oct. 18 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. |
| WBCA Administrator of the Year | Presented annually to an administrator, athletic director, associate or assistant athletic director, or senior woman administrator who has promoted women’s basketball in a positive manner through clinics, speaking engagements, books, articles, research and/or special promotions at the local, regional and/or national levels, and who has served as a professional role model to student-athletes. | Candidates must be an administrator, athletic director, associate or assistant athletic director, or senior woman administrator to be eligible for nomination. Candidates do not need to be a member of the WBCA in order to be eligible for this award. | Any WBCA member head and/or assistant coach at any level. | Sept. 16 | Oct. 18 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. |
Spring Awards – 2025
**All deadlines end at 5 p.m. ET, unless otherwise indicated.
| Name of Award | Description of Award | Who’s Eligible to Recieve it? | Who can Submit Nominations? | Nominations Begin | End | Do I get to Vote for Recipient(s)? | Voting Begin | End | ||
| MaxPreps/WBCA Player of the Week | Each week, the WBCA and MaxPreps will select one player from each of nine regions for the MaxPreps/WBCA Player of the Week award. Winners will be selected based upon stats submitted to MaxPreps by their coaches. | Student-athletes at the high school level. | High school coaches must enter the athlete’s game stats into MaxPreps by Sunday evening. High school coaches may obtain an access code to enter stats for their teams at maxpreps.com/cl. At this time, coaches do not need to be a member of the WBCA. | Dec. 8 | March 3 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA Coaches’ Trophy | Awarded annually to the NCAA Division I women’s basketball team that finishes first in the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 Coaches Poll. Valued at $30,000, the luminous trophy is made of handcrafted Waterford Crystal in the shape of a basketball and sits atop a large black acrylic base. | The NCAA DI women’s basketball team that finishes first in the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 Coaches Poll | There is not a nomination process for this award. | N/A | N/A | No. The NCAA DI women’s basketball team that finishes first in the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 Coaches Poll is named as the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| Maggie Dixon DI Rookie Coach of the Year | This award is named in honor of the late Maggie Dixon, former Army head coach, whose success during her inaugural year at the Black Knights’ helm was remarkable. Dixon was named 2006 Patriot League Coach of the Year after leading Army to the conference title and its first-ever NCAA DI tournament appearance. Dixon passed away on April 6, 2006, just a few weeks following the Black Knights’ appearance in the NCAA Tournament. | Any WBCA member NCAA DI head coach who is in their rookie season is eligible. A head coach whose institution has transitioned to NCAA DI will not qualify for this award if it is not their first year as a head coach at that institution. A head/assistant coach who has coached at the professional level and then returns to the collegiate level IS NOT eligible for this award. | There is no formal nomination process. All NCAA DI conference communications directors are contacted and asked to submit to the WBCA the names, awards and other relevant news regarding all rookie coaches within their respective conferences. | N/A | N/A | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA High School National Coach of the Year Award | Presented annually to a head coach in high school who best fulfills the award criteria. | Any high school head coach. They do not have to be a WBCA member. | Only WBCA member head coaches are allowed to nominate at the high school level. You may only nominate within your division. | Feb. 1 | Feb. 26 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA NCAA DI National Coach of the Year Award | Presented annually to a head coach in NCAA DI who best fulfills the award criteria. | Any WBCA member NCAA DI head coach. | Any WBCA member head and/or assistant coach at the NCAA DI level. | Feb. 1 | Feb. 26 | Yes, but WBCA member head coaches are allowed to vote only for coaches within their region/division. | March 3 | March 10 |
| WBCA NCAA DII, NCAA DIII, NAIA and Two-Year College National Coach of the Year Award | Presented annually to a head coach in NCAA DII and DIII, NAIA and two-year college who best fulfills the award criteria. | Any WBCA member head coach in each of the collegiate divisions: NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA and two-year college. | Any WBCA member head and/or assistant coach at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA or two-year college level. You may only nominate within your division. | Feb. 1 | Feb. 26 | Yes, but only WBCA member head coaches are allowed to vote for coaches within their region/division. **Voting does not apply to two-year college** | March 3 | March 10 |
| Wade Trophy | Awarded annually to the best college women’s basketball player in the country who not only excels athletically, but serves as a positive role model both on and off the court. | All academically eligible NCAA DI players (sophomore, junior or senior) who are members of the WBCA NCAA DI Coaches’ All-America Team are candidates for The Wade Trophy. Freshmen are not eligible for The Wade Trophy. | There is no formal nomination process. The Wade Trophy Committee compiles a list of “Wade Watch” candidates based on the criteria above at the beginning of the basketball season. The committee may add more candidates to the list during the season. | N/A | N/A | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. The winner must be a part of the WBCA Coaches’ All-America NCAA DI Team. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year Award- NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA, Two-Year College and High School | Presented annually to the WBCA National Assistant Coach of the Year in each of the six membership divisions – NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, two-year college and high school who demonstrate a professional manner/attitude, involvement in community service, professional organization involvement, commitment to the student-athlete and on court coaching success. | Any assistant coach who is a WBCA member “in good standing.” | Any WBCA member coach head coach may nominate up to one (1) assistant coach from their institution. | Feb. 1 | Feb. 26 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA Coaches’ All-America Team-NCAA DI | The team is chosen to honor the 10 best NCAA DI players. | All academically eligible collegiate women’s basketball players are eligible. | Any WBCA member head coach at the NCAA DI level can nominate players on their team who meet the criteria. | Feb. 1 | Feb. 26 | Yes. WBCA member head coaches in each region vote online at WBCA.org. Voters rank in order their top picks. | Feb. 26 | March 6 |
| WBCA Coaches’ All-America Team-NCAA DII, NCAA DIII, NAIA and Two-year college | Each team is chosen to honor the 10 best players in the respective division. | All academically eligible collegiate women’s basketball players are eligible. | Any WBCA member head coach at the NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA or two-year college level can nominate up to three (3) players on their team who meet the criteria. | Feb. 1 | Feb. 26 | Yes. WBCA member head coaches in each region will vote online at WBCA.org. Voters will rank, in order, their top picks. **Voting does not apply to two-year college** | March 3 | March 10 |
| WBCA Coaches’ All-America Team-High School | One of the most prestigious and highest honors for a high school girl’s basketball player. | Only high school seniors are eligible. Fifth-year seniors are not eligible. | Any WBCA member head coach at the high school level. | Feb. 1 | Feb. 26 | No. The selection committee will conduct a series of conference calls to discuss and review all nominees. The team will be selected at the end of February. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year | Honors the best defensive player in NCAA DI women’s basketball. | The defensive player of the year in each NCAA DI conference is eligible for the award. A conference that does not select a defensive player of the year may nominate one player to represent the conference. | Each conference communications director submits to the WBCA office the name of their defensive player of the year or nominee along with the statistics and other information listed in the criteria. | N/A | N/A | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year presented by adidas | Honors the best freshman collegiate DI women’s basketball player. | Any NCAA DI player who is named as their conference Freshman of the Year is eligible for this award. | Each conference communications director submits to the WBCA office the name of their freshman of the year or nominee along with the statistics and other information listed in the criteria. | N/A | N/A | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA Player of the Year-NCAA Division II, III, NAIA, Two-Year College and High School | Presented annually to the best player in NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA, two-year college and high school divisions. (Note: The Wade Trophy is presented to the best player in NCAA DI). | All members of the Coaches’ All-America teams in each of the five divisions are candidates for Player of the Year honors in their respective divisions. | Coaches who nominate their player(s) for the All-America Team are considered candidates for this award. | N/A | N/A | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA President’s Award | Presented to an individual who the President of the WBCA believes has contributed a great deal to the game of women’s basketball. This award is not necessarily presented annually. | Anyone who has made a significant contribution to the game of women’s basketball in the opinion of the WBCA President is eligible to be considered for this award. | There is no formal nomination process. The President of the WBCA gathers information on potential candidates for review. | N/A | N/A | No. The President of the WBCA selects the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA Thirty Under 30 | This recognition was created to honor thirty of the up-and-coming women’s basketball coaches age 30 and under in the sport at all levels of the game. | Any head coach or assistant coach who is age 30 and under prior to April 1st of the current season and a WBCA member “in good standing.” | Any WBCA member head coach or assistant coach may nominate themselves or their peers for this recognition. | Feb. 1 | Feb. 26 | No. The selection committee will review all nominees and select the winner. | N/A | N/A |
| WBCA Victory Club | Presented to each WBCA member head coach who achieves a career win record of 200, 300, 400, 500 or more, in 100-victory increments. Wins on the same level, but not different levels can be combined. | All WBCA member head coaches at any level. | A WBCA member head coach must nominate him/herself. | Dec. 1 | March 7 | No. Everyone who submits information based on the award criteria by the deadline will receive an award recognizing his/her achievement. | N/A | N/A |
Summer Awards – 2025
**All deadlines end at 5 p.m. ET, unless otherwise indicated.
| Name of Award | Description of Award | Who’s Eligible to Recieve it? | Who can Submit Nominations? | Nominations Begin | End | Do I get to Vote for Recipient(s)? | Voting Begin | End | ||
| WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll | Recognizes outstanding academic performance by teams in NCAA DI, DII and DIII, NAIA, and two-year college divisions. | All collegiate divisions are eligible. | Any WBCA member head coach at the NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA or two-year college level can nominate his/her team for this award. | May 12 | June 25 | No. The WBCA will receive nominations and determine the top 25 teams in each division based on team GPA. | N/A | N/A |