Sonya Morris Among Five National Finalists for Ann Meyers Drysdale Award
3/8/2022 12:53:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
DePaul senior a leading contender for Shooting Guard of the Year honor
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced Tuesday the five finalists for the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, and DePaul's Sonya Morris made the final cut.
That puts the smooth senior in select company among the five-best shooting guards in the country alongside Kierstan Bell (Florida Gulf Coast), Christyn Williams (Connecticut), Taylor Mikesell (Ohio State) and Taylor Robertson (Oklahoma).
Named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and first player of either gender named to four consecutive All-America Teams, the annual award in its fifth year recognizes the foremost two-guard in NCAA Division I.
"Annie Meyers played with a flair unlike any other, and while she will always be recognized as the original, it's exciting to see the student athletes today emulating her style of play," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
"The young women recognized as finalists for this award have been a lot of fun to watch so far this season and we know their best is yet to come."
Morris is an All-BIG EAST First Team selection after averaging 17.9 points a game this season. She has DePaul's second and third-highest scoring games with 36 points against Vanderbilt in the Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands) and 35 at St. John's.
The sharpshooter from St. Louis has scored in double figures 29 of DePaul's 32 games including 17 of the last 18. The senior with an explosive scoring touch is a big reason why the Blue Demons lead the nation in scoring at 88.3 points per game.
Morris is eighth in the country in field goals and No. 12 in field goal attempts. She has scored 20 or more points 11 times.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in November, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February and now just five finalists.
This month, the finalists will be presented to Ms. Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, March 11 on hoophallawards.com.
"It brings me great pride to be able to recognize today's best shooting guards with an award that bears my name," said Ann Meyers Drysdale, Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1993. "Over the years, I've seen the women's game continue to evolve and grow, and I appreciate any opportunity to celebrate female athletes for their dedication and skill."
The winner of the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be presented at a yet-to-be-determined date along with four other members of the Women's Starting Five.
Additional awards include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, in addition to the Men's Starting Five.
Additional information about the award presentation including date and time will be released in the coming weeks.
Previous winners of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Ashley Owusu, Maryland (2021), Aari McDonald, Arizona (2020), Asia Durr, Louisville (2019) and Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State (2018).
For more information on the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MeyersAward on Twitter and Instagram.
That puts the smooth senior in select company among the five-best shooting guards in the country alongside Kierstan Bell (Florida Gulf Coast), Christyn Williams (Connecticut), Taylor Mikesell (Ohio State) and Taylor Robertson (Oklahoma).
Named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and first player of either gender named to four consecutive All-America Teams, the annual award in its fifth year recognizes the foremost two-guard in NCAA Division I.
"Annie Meyers played with a flair unlike any other, and while she will always be recognized as the original, it's exciting to see the student athletes today emulating her style of play," said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
"The young women recognized as finalists for this award have been a lot of fun to watch so far this season and we know their best is yet to come."
Morris is an All-BIG EAST First Team selection after averaging 17.9 points a game this season. She has DePaul's second and third-highest scoring games with 36 points against Vanderbilt in the Paradise Jam (U.S. Virgin Islands) and 35 at St. John's.
The sharpshooter from St. Louis has scored in double figures 29 of DePaul's 32 games including 17 of the last 18. The senior with an explosive scoring touch is a big reason why the Blue Demons lead the nation in scoring at 88.3 points per game.
Morris is eighth in the country in field goals and No. 12 in field goal attempts. She has scored 20 or more points 11 times.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 student-athletes in November, which was narrowed to 10 candidates in February and now just five finalists.
This month, the finalists will be presented to Ms. Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the Basketball Hall of Fame's selection committee. Naismith Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live on Friday, March 11 on hoophallawards.com.
"It brings me great pride to be able to recognize today's best shooting guards with an award that bears my name," said Ann Meyers Drysdale, Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1993. "Over the years, I've seen the women's game continue to evolve and grow, and I appreciate any opportunity to celebrate female athletes for their dedication and skill."
The winner of the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be presented at a yet-to-be-determined date along with four other members of the Women's Starting Five.
Additional awards include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, in addition to the Men's Starting Five.
Additional information about the award presentation including date and time will be released in the coming weeks.
Previous winners of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award include Ashley Owusu, Maryland (2021), Aari McDonald, Arizona (2020), Asia Durr, Louisville (2019) and Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State (2018).
For more information on the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MeyersAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
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