2019 Katrina McClain Award Watch List Narrowed to 10 Candidates
By Tyler Berry
The candidate list for the country’s top power forward gets cut in half.
On Thursday, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the WBCA revealed its 10 candidates for the second-ever Katrina McClain Award. Awarded to the nation’s top power forward, the current list includes:
Lauren Cox (Baylor)
Reyna Frost (Central Michigan)
Napheesa Collier (Connecticut)
Sara Rhine (Drake)
Anriel Howard (Mississippi St.)
Jessica Shepard (Notre Dame)
Ruthy Hebard (Oregon)
Bella Alarie (Princeton)
Alanna Smith (Stanford)
Megan Huff (Utah)
The award’s 20-player watchlist, announced back in late October, was cut in half, meaning that names like Georgia’s Caliya Robinson, Middle Tennessee State’s Alex Johnson, and TCU’s Amy Okonkwo were left out despite their strong play this year.
The remaining list includes multiple Power-5 forwards, a couple of mid-major players, and an Ivy League candidate, but the name that really stands out is UConn’s Napheesa Collier.
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Collier leads the Huskies, a top five team in the nation, in scoring (19.8) and rebounding (10.1), has recorded 13 double-doubles, and is second on the team in assists (3.8). She has helped lead a tough UConn team to a 22-2 record with big wins over South Carolina and Notre Dame.
Just the other night, on Feb. 11, Collier dominated the Gamecocks with 31 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes.
While she’s my favorite to win the award, there’s no denying that each player on this list has made a compelling case this season. Notre Dame’s Jessica Shepard has averaged a near double-double with 15.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while shooting a spectacular 60.4 percent from the field.
Also, don’t forget about Oregon’s Ruthy Hebard, who’s averaged 16.6 points while shooting 70.5 percent, good for second in the nation according to HerHoopStats. And, while she’s a bit of a longshot, Princeton’s Bella Alarie certainly deserves to have her name on this list considering she’s fifth in the country in points per game (23.7).
In March, the list of 10 will be narrowed down to five finalists, and fans will even have the opportunity to vote for their favorite. The Katrina McClain Award winner will be announced during the Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida.