2020 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award preseason watch list announced

Who will be the top shooting guard in 2020? The WBCA and HoF have some ideas.

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 players on the 2020 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award preseason watch list on Tuesday. The award goes to the nation’s top shooting guard.

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Headlining the list is the top returning scorer in women’s college basketball, Arizona junior Aari McDonald. McDonald ended her redshirt sophomore season at No. 3 on the NCAA scoring list at 24.1 points per game. Both players in front of her were seniors.

McDonald rewrote Arizona record books by scoring 890 points while also accounting for team highs in assists per game (4.6) and steals per game (2.5). She was second on the team with 6.5 rebounds per game. She became just the second player in Pac-12 history to score over 800 points and dish out more than 150 assists, joining her former Washington teammate Kelsey Plum.

McDonald is joined by fellow Pac-12 members Kiana Williams of Stanford, Minyon Moore of Oregon, Amber Melgoza of Washington, and Stephanie Watts of USC.

Big Ten both placed four players on the list: Kathleen Doyle (Iowa), Taylor Mikesell (Maryland), Lindsey Pulliam (Northwestern), and Destiny Pitts (Minnesota).

The ACC and Big XII each placed three players on the watch list. The Big XII was led by a representative of the national champs Juicy Landrum (Baylor). She was joined by Taylor Robertson (Oklahoma), and Tynice Martin (West Virginia).

The ACC saw Haley Gorecki (Duke), Aislinn Konig (NC State), and Jocelyn Willoughby (Virginia) added to the list.

Other members of the group are Christyn Williams (Connecticut/AAC), Chelsea Dungee (Arkansas/SEC), Erica Ogwumike (Rice/C-USA), Lauren Loven (Denver/Summit), and Becca Hittner (Drake/MVC).

Players can earn their way onto or off of the list over the course of the season.

Louisville’s Asia Durr won the 2019 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.

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