Plum, Osahor Among Top 30 Finalists For Naismith Trophy
February 08, 2017 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE - University of Washington seniors Kelsey Plum and Chantel Osahor are among the 30 finalists for the Naismith Trophy, given annually to college basketball'sΒ player of the year.
Just three months into the college basketball season, several programs are vying for supremacy as the top team in the nation. The same can be said for the 30 student-athletes looking to win the Naismith Trophy after the midseason team was announcedΒ Wednesday by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
The Pac-12 conference has six players on the list with Washington being the only school to have multiple representatives. Five other schools, Notre Dame, Maryland, South Carolina, Connecticut and Tennessee, are represented by two players apiece.
The top 30 midseason women's list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season.
The Husky seniors are currently leading the nation in scoring and rebounding, respectively, Plum is averaging 30.9 points per game and Osahor averages 14.9 rebounds per contest.
Through 25 games, Plum, who has scored 21 or more points in every contest this season, has already scored 772 points, including a season-high 44 four times. The point guard surpassed 3,000 points earlier this season, becoming the first player in Pac-12 history, male or female, to reach 3,000. Plum's 3,190 points is third-most in NCAA history.
Earlier this week, Osahor, whose 20 double-doubles leads the nation, was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week after leading the Huskies to pair of wins against Utah and Colorado. The senior has pulled down double-digit rebounds in 21 games this season and has recorded 20 or more in six contests, including a Pac-12 record 30 against Washington State. The Phoenix, Ariz. native is also the team's second leading scorer, averaging 15.6 per game and second in assists per game (4.2).
Washington is back in action this weekend, hosting Arizona on Friday (Feb. 10) and Arizona State on Sunday (Feb. 12).
