Wade Trophy

The Wade Trophy is an award presented annually to the best upperclass women's basketball player in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. It is named after three–time national champion Delta State University coach Lily Margaret Wade. The award debuted in 1978 as the first–ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball. State Farm Insurance sponsors the award, and the trophy is presented at the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Convention.

Wade Trophy
Awarded for	The best female college basketball player in the United States
Country	United States
Presented by	Women's Basketball Coaches Association (starting in 2001)
First awarded	1978
Currently held by	Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Website	Official website

UConn has the most all-time winners with nine. Maya Moore is the only player to win the Wade Trophy three times, accomplishing the feat in 2009 (only sophomore ever to win the award), 2010 and 2011. Other multiple award winners include Nancy Lieberman (1979, 1980), Seimone Augustus (2005, 2006), Brittney Griner (2012, 2013), Breanna Stewart (2015, 2016), Sabrina Ionescu (2019, 2020), and Caitlin Clark (2023, 2024).

Baylor is in sole possession of second in total awards, and is in a second-place tie with two other schools for the most individual recipients. Three Baylor players have combined to win four awards. The other two programs with three individual recipients are Louisiana Tech and Texas, with all of each school's winners having received the award once. There have never been any ties for the award.

Eligibility and criteria

All academically eligible women's basketball athletes, except freshmen, in NCAA Division I qualify as candidates.

• Member of the NCAA Division I Kodak/WBCA All-America Team
• Game and season statistics
• Effect on team
• Leadership
• Character
• Overall playing ability
• Player that embodies the "Spirit of Margaret Wade" as defined by the WBCA and the NAGWS

Winners

 

Jennifer Azzi won in 1990 while playing for Stanford.

 

Sue Bird, in white, won in 2002, playing for Connecticut

 

Maya Moore is the award's only three-time recipient.

 

Breanna Stewart receiving the Wade Trophy at the 2015 WBCA convention in Tampa Bay FL

Player (n)

Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Wade Trophy at that point

Season	Player	School	Position	Class	Ref.
1977–78	Carol Blazejowski	Montclair State	Forward	Senior	^[1]
1978–79	Nancy Lieberman	Old Dominion	Guard	Junior	^[2]
1979–80	Nancy Lieberman (2)	Old Dominion	Guard	Senior	^[2]
1980–81	Lynette Woodard	Kansas	Guard	Senior	^[3]
1981–82	Pam Kelly	Louisiana Tech	Center	Senior	^[4]
1982–83	LaTaunya Pollard	Long Beach State	Guard	Senior	^[5]
1983–84	Janice Lawrence Braxton	Louisiana Tech	Forward	Senior	^[6]
1984–85	Cheryl Miller	USC	Forward	Junior	^[7]
1985–86	Kamie Ethridge	Texas	Guard	Senior	^[8]
1986–87	Shelly Pennefather	Villanova	Forward	Senior	^[9]
1987–88	Teresa Weatherspoon	Louisiana Tech	Guard	Senior	^[10]
1988–89	Clarissa Davis	Texas	Forward	Senior	^[11]
1989–90	Jennifer Azzi	Stanford	Guard	Senior	^[12]
1990–91	Daedra Charles	Tennessee	Center	Senior	^[13]
1991–92	Susan Robinson	Penn State	Forward	Senior	^[14]
1992–93	Karen Jennings	Nebraska	Forward	Senior	^[15]
1993–94	Carol Ann Shudlick	Minnesota	Forward	Senior	^[16]
1994–95	Rebecca Lobo	UConn^[a]	Center	Senior	^[17]
1995–96	Jennifer Rizzotti	UConn^[a]	Guard	Senior	^[18]
1996–97	DeLisha Milton	Florida	Forward	Senior	^[19]
1997–98	Ticha Penicheiro	Old Dominion	Guard	Senior	^[20]
1998–99	Stephanie White	Purdue	Guard	Senior	^[21]
1999–00	Edwina Brown	Texas	Guard	Senior	^[22]
2000–01	Jackie Stiles	Southwest Missouri State^[b]	Guard	Senior	^[23]
2001–02	Sue Bird	UConn^[a]	Guard	Senior	^[24]
2002–03	Diana Taurasi	UConn^[a]	Forward	Junior	^[25]
2003–04	Alana Beard	Duke	Guard	Senior	^[26]
2004–05	Seimone Augustus	LSU	Guard	Junior	^[2]
2005–06	Seimone Augustus (2)	LSU	Guard	Senior	^[2]
2006–07	Candace Parker	Tennessee	Center	Junior	^[27]
2007–08	Candice Wiggins	Stanford	Guard	Senior	^[28]
2008–09	Maya Moore	UConn^[a]	Forward	Sophomore	^[29]
2009–10	Maya Moore (2)	UConn^[a]	Forward	Junior	^[29]
2010–11	Maya Moore (3)	UConn^[a]	Forward	Senior	^[29]
2011–12	Brittney Griner	Baylor	Center	Junior	^[30]
2012–13	Brittney Griner (2)	Baylor	Center	Senior	^[30]
2013–14	Odyssey Sims	Baylor	Guard	Senior	^[30]
2014–15	Breanna Stewart	UConn	Forward	Junior	^[31]
2015–16	Breanna Stewart (2)	UConn	Forward	Senior	^[31]
2016–17	Kelsey Plum	Washington	Guard	Senior	^[32]
2017–18	A'ja Wilson	South Carolina	Forward	Senior	^[33]
2018–19	Sabrina Ionescu	Oregon	Guard	Junior	^[34]
2019–20	Sabrina Ionescu (2)	Oregon	Guard	Senior	^[35]
2020–21	NaLyssa Smith	Baylor	Forward	Junior	^[36]
2021–22	Aliyah Boston	South Carolina	Forward	Junior	^[37]
2022–23	Caitlin Clark	Iowa	Guard	Junior	^[38]
2023–24	Caitlin Clark (2)	Iowa	Guard	Senior	^[39]

1. Official athletic brand name was "Connecticut" before 2013–14.
2. Known since 2005 as Missouri State.

See also

• List of sports awards honoring women

References

1. iThemesLab. "Carol Blazejowski - Women's Basketball Hall of Fame". www.wbhof.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
2. "Augustus Repeats as Wade Trophy Winner; Named Kodak All-American". LSUsports.net. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
3. "Kansas Sports Hall of Fame - Woodard, Lynette". www.kshof.org. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
4. "SPORTS PEOPLE; Pam Kelly Honored". The New York Times. 1982-03-31. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
5. WHITE, LONNIE (1989-01-10). "After College, American Stars Play Overseas--or Not at All". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
6. "Janice Lawrence Braxton". Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
7. "Reign of Troy honors Black History Month: Cheryl Miller". Reign of Troy. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
8. "University of Northern Colorado - 2014-15 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff". www.uncbears.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
9. Wilkinson, Jack. "Pennefather heeds her calling". www.catholiceducation.org. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
10. "Ambassador Teresa Weatherspoon | National Basketball Retired Players Association". www.legendsofbasketball.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
11. "Assistant Coach Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil". University of Texas. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
12. "University of San Francisco Dons Athletics - 2014-15 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff". www.usfdons.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
13. "Daedra Charles-Furlow named girls' coach at West". www.knoxnews.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
14. "FRIARS.COM - Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site - Women's Basketball". www.friars.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
15. "Karen Jennings". Huskers.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
16. "Catching up with Carol Ann (Shudlick) Smith". www.gophersports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
17. "Lobo Awarded Wade Trophy". The New York Times. 1995-04-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
18. "Hartford Hawks Athletics - 2014-15 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff". www.hartfordhawks.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
19. "SPARKS: Milton-Jones and Ross Reunited by Basketball". www.wnba.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
20. "Ticha Penicheiro Selected For Induction Into The Virginia Sports Hall Of Fame". odusports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
21. "New Fever coach Stephanie White altered her career plan from astronaut to WNBA leader". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
22. "GOFROGS.COM - Edwina Brown Bio - TCU Horned Frogs Official Athletic Site". www.gofrogs.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
23. "Jackie Stiles - Women's Basketball Coach". Missouri State. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
24. "ESPN.com: NCW - Bird wins Wade Trophy, AP Player of Year". a.espncdn.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
25. "Margaret Wade: The Coach, The Teacher, The Legend - Delta State University". www.deltastate.edu. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
26. "Alana Beard Named State Farm Wade Trophy/Associated Press National Player of the Year". goduke.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
27. "CANDACE PARKER NAMED STATE FARM WADE TROPHY PLAYER OF THE YEAR". www.utsports.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
28. Eymer, Rick. "Wiggins wins Wade Trophy as national player of the year". www.paloaltoonline.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
29. "UConn's Maya Moore wins Wade Trophy, AP award". The Day. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
30. "Odyssey Sims wins 2014 Wade Trophy". www.baylorbears.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
31. "Breanna Stewart of UConn Huskies wins second straight Wade Trophy". espnW. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
32. "Wade Trophy winner Kelsey Plum of Washington headlines 2017 wbca ncaa division i coaches' all-american team". Women's Basketball Coaches Association (Press release). Retrieved 2017-04-03.
33. "Wade Trophy Winner A'ja Wilson Headlines 2018 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Team" (Press release). Women's Basketball Coaches Association. March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
34. "Wade Trophy Winner Sabrina Ionescu Headlines 2019 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Team" (Press release). Women's Basketball Coaches Association. April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
35. "Sabrina Ionescu adds second Wade Trophy to growing list of accolades". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
36. "Wade Trophy Winner NaLyssa Smith of Baylor Headlines 2021 WBCA Division I Coaches' All-America Team" (Press release). Women's Basketball Coaches Association. April 3, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
37. "Wade Trophy winner Aliyah Boston headlines 2022 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America team" (Press release). Women's Basketball Coaches Association. March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
38. "Wade Trophy Winner Caitlin Clark Headlines 2023 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Team" (Press release). Women's Basketball Coaches Association. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
39. "Caitlin Clark Wins Second Wade Trophy, Headlines 2024 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Team" (Press release). Women's Basketball Coaches Association. April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

External links

• Official website