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Atlanta Tipoff Club | February 25, 2020

10 semifinalists announced for Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year award

5 best women's basketball players at every position in 2019-20

The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced its 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year, the award given to the top defender in women's college basketball. The list will be narrowed down to four finalists on March 11 before a winner is named on April 5.

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The Big 12 leads all conferences with three players on the list, followed by two each from the SEC and Pac-12 with additional semifinalists from the ACC, Big Ten and WCC for a total of six conferences represented.

This is the third year of the award, with Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan (2018) and California's Kristen Anigwe (2019) being its first two recipients. Both winners have since graduated, meaning a new player will win in 2020.

NAME SCHOOL CLASS POSITION CONFERENCE
Aliyah Boston South Carolina Freshman Forward SEC
Brittany Brewer Texas Tech Senior Forward Big 12
Lauren Cox Baylor Senior Forward Big 12
Jordan Danberry Mississippi State Senior Guard SEC
Sara Hamson BYU Junior Center WCC
Ae'Rianna Harris Purdue Senior Forward Big Ten
Aari McDonald Arizona Junior Guard Pac-12
Mikayla Pivec Oregon State Senior Guard Pac-12
DiDi Richards Baylor Junior Guard Big 12
Kylee Shook Louisville Senior Forward ACC

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