ATLANTA — Ahead of the NCAA Tournament tip off, the Atlanta Tipoff Club has announced the four finalists competing for the 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy, recognizing the most outstanding women’s college basketball player. The finalists for the Women’s Player of the Year include Asia Durr (Louisville), Megan Gustafson (Iowa), Sabrina Ionescu (Oregon) and Arike Ogunbowale (Notre Dame).
2019 TOURNAMENT: Bracket, schedule, scores
Durr, Gustafson and Ionescu seek to become the first women’s or men’s player from their schools to win a Citizen Naismith Trophy. Third-year player Ionescu looks to be the first junior to take home the trophy since Breanna Stewart won for UConn in 2015. Gustafson would become the first from the Big Ten to win the Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy. In search of only the fourth women’s trophy win for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Durr and Ogunbowale would be the first to earn the honor since Duke’s Lindsey Harding in 2007. Ogunbowale would also become the second player from Notre Dame to win the Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year, joining the 2001 winner, Ruth Riley.
“Each of the four finalists has the talent and commitment it takes to win the 2019 Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. “As the tournament begins, we look forward to watching these players lead their teams toward a championship, while they compete for the individual Women’s Player of the Year honor.”
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Beginning today, March 22, fans will have a chance to vote for their favorite finalist through April 3, by visiting naismithfanvote.com to cast their ballot. The fan vote will account for five percent of the overall vote. The 2019 Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women’s Player of the Year will be announced on April 6, 2019, and the winner will be honored at her school on a later date.
“These players have shown the dedication and drive worthy of the Women’s Citizen Naismith Trophy,” said Eric Horowitz, managing director U.S. and travel retail, Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc. "We are excited to watch them play and compete in the tournament and for the top honor.”
About the finalists:
Asia Durr, Louisville
• Named ACC Player of the Year for the second year in a row, Durr led the Cardinals to a share of their first regular-season ACC championship and a 29-3 record.
• The senior guard led the league in scoring, averaging 21.3 ppg and 3.5 rpg.
• With an 82.6 free throw percentage, she also came in fifth in 3-pointers (34.7).
• Durr’s team tips off today in the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Albany Region.
#VoteAsia for #MeyersAward! #NiteNite 😴
— Louisville WBB (@UofLWBB) March 20, 2019
🗳 https://t.co/7y0hI8mUvA pic.twitter.com/Ec9VOOgKCn
Megan Gustafson, Iowa
• Gustafson led Division I in scoring and field goal percentage the last two seasons, averaging 28.0 ppg with a 69.6 field goal percentage.
• The senior center-forward is Iowa's career leader in scoring (2,700) and rebounding (1,403) and will finish in the top five in blocked shots (228).
• In the Big Ten Championship, she scored 45 points to give the Hawkeyes their first league tournament title since 2001.
• With a 26-6 record, Gustafson’s team is set to play in the NCAA Tournament today as the No. 2 seed in the Greensboro Region.
Big Ten Player of the Year ☑️
— Iowa Women's BBall (@IowaWBB) March 6, 2019
Now let's take this thing to the national stage... https://t.co/VDERa01EfV#VoteGustafson #Hawkeyes #FightForIowa pic.twitter.com/jk2dEqutgY
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
• Ionescu was named Pacific-12 Conference (Pac-12) Player of the Year for a second consecutive season.
• Having led the Ducks to a 29-4 record and a Pac-12 regular-season title, she is third in the country in
assists, averaging 8.1 apg, 19.6 ppg and 7.5 rpg.
• The junior guard produced seven triple-doubles this season, totaling 17 in her career and setting an
NCAA record for both women’s and men’s players.
• Ionescu’s team will play today as the No. 2 seed in the Portland Region of the NCAA Tournament.
The @JoanNiesen article on @sabrina_i20 is in the newest issue of Sports Illustrated. #GoDucks https://t.co/82KRuaZBeY pic.twitter.com/JAGo3ZfaIX
— Oregon Women’s Basketball (@OregonWBB) March 11, 2019
Arike Ogunbowale, Notre Dame
• This season, Ogunbowale became the Fighting Irish’s all-time leading scorer (2,471).
• The junior guard had a 44.6 field goal percentage, averaging 21.0 ppg and 4.9 rpg.
• She led the Irish to its sixth ACC regular-season title and fifth ACC Tournament championship and played
a role in the team’s 2018 NCAA Championship win.
• Heading into the NCAA Tournament with a 30-3 record, Ogunbowale’s team is seeded No. 1 in the
Chicago Region.
For the ✌️nd straight year, @Arike_O is a Top 🖐 finalist for the @AnnMeyers Award.#GoIrish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/MGjV1HlrmY
— Notre Dame WBB (@ndwbb) March 12, 2019
The Citizen Naismith Trophy, originally sculpted in 1982 by Atlanta’s Marty C. Dawe, quickly became one of the most prestigious individual national basketball honors. The winner will be awarded with the Citizen Naismith Trophy, produced and provided by Herff-Jones, the leading provider of graduation and educational products and services, including class rings and jewelry. A replica trophy will be donated by Herff-Jones to the player’s college.
The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom base their selections on outstanding on-court performances during the 2018-19 college basketball season. The vote was tabulated and certified by Aprio, a premier, CPA-led business advisory firm.
For more information, visit www.naismithtrophy.com.
