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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