ATLANTA (March 26, 2024) — Paige Bueckers of Connecticut, Caitlin Clark of Iowa, Elizabeth Kitley of Virginia Tech, and JuJu Watkins of Southern California are the four finalists for the 2024 Wade Trophy, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. The prestigious award is presented by the WBCA each year to the best player in college women’s basketball.
Clark won the award in 2023. Watkins is the first freshman to be named a finalist for the Wade Trophy since freshmen became eligible for the award in the 2021-22 season.
The Wade Trophy — now in its 47th year — is the oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award in college women’s basketball. It is named in honor of the late, legendary Delta State University head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen. First awarded in 1978 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), now known as SHAPE America, the Wade Trophy has been presented to the WBCA NCAA Division I National Player of the Year since 2001.
Carol Blazejowski of Montclair State was the first recipient of the Wade Trophy. Two-time winners include Nancy Lieberman (1979, 1980) of Old Dominion, Seimone Augustus (2005, 2006) of LSU, Brittney Griner (2012, 2013) of Baylor, Breanna Stewart (2015, 2016) of Connecticut, and Sabrina Ionescu (2019, 2020) of Oregon. Maya Moore (2009, 2010, 2011) of Connecticut is the only three-time recipient.
The WBCA also announced today the 52 region finalists for this season’s 10-member WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team. They are:
Region 1
| Player | Institution |
| Georgia Amoore | Virginia Tech |
| Kaitlyn Chen | Princeton |
| Dyaisha Fair | Syracuse |
| Hannah Hidalgo | Notre Dame |
| Abbey Hsu | Columbia |
| Aziaha James | North Carolina State |
| Deja Kelly | North Carolina |
| Elizabeth Kitley | Virginia Tech |
| Ta’Niya Latson | Florida State |
| Saniya Rivers | North Carolina State |
| Maddy Westbeld | Notre Dame |
Region 2
| Player | Institution |
| Kamilla Cardoso | South Carolina |
| Jessika Carter | Mississippi State |
| Rickea Jackson | Tennessee |
| Aneesah Morrow | Louisiana State |
| Te-Hina Paopao | South Carolina |
| Angel Reese | Louisiana State |
| Honesty Scott-Grayson | Auburn |
| Chellia Watson | Buffalo |
Region 3
| Player | Institution |
| Madison Booker | Texas |
| Delanie Crawford | Tulsa |
| Audi Crooks | Iowa State |
| Lauren Gustin | Brigham Young |
| Taiyanna Jackson | Kansas |
| Emani Jefferson | Florida Gulf Coast |
| Ayoka Lee | Kansas State |
| Temira Poindexter | Tulsa |
| JJ Quinerly | West Virginia |
| Skylar Vann | Oklahoma |
| Payton Verhulst | Oklahoma |
Region 4
| Player | Institution |
| Paige Bueckers | Connecticut |
| Caitlin Clark | Iowa |
| Aaliyah Edwards | Connecticut |
| Mackenzie Holmes | Indiana |
| Cotie McMahon | Ohio State |
| Lucy Olsen | Villanova |
| Laila Phelia | Michigan |
| Sara Scalia | Indiana |
| Shyanne Sellers | Maryland |
| Jacy Sheldon | Ohio State |
Region 5
| Player | Institution |
| Raegan Beers | Oregon State |
| Lauren Betts | UCLA |
| Cameron Brink | Stanford |
| Yvonne Ejim | Gonzaga |
| McKenna Hofschild | Colorado State |
| Kiki Iriafen | Stanford |
| Charisma Osborne | UCLA |
| Alissa Pili | Utah |
| Kiki Rice | UCLA |
| Jaylyn Sherrod | Colorado |
| JuJu Watkins | USC |
| Desi-Rae Young | UNLV |
NCAA Division I head coaches who are WBCA members may nominate players from their own teams for Coaches’ All-America. They then vote for the top eight players in their respective regions from among those players who are nominated. The WBCA NCAA Division I Awards Committee, which is composed of head coaches from each region who are elected by their peers, may select up to 12 additional at-large finalists from the remaining pool of nominees.
The committee will meet in Cleveland in conjunction with the annual WBCA Convention to select the 2024 Wade Trophy winner and the 2024 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team. Both will be announced on April 4.
About the WBCA
The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, 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 the 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. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
# # #