March 26, 2011
ATLANTA - Texas A&M senior Danielle Adams was selected one of 12 finalists for the prestigious State Farm Wade Trophy as announced by the State Farm Wade Trophy Committee along with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).
The Wade Trophy is presented annually to the nation's most outstanding NCAA Division I women's basketball player and Adams (Kansas City, Mo.) is the first A&M women's basketball player to be named a finalist.
Adams, a 6-foot-1 combination forward/center, is also a finalist for the State Farm All-America Team, the Naismith Trophy and the John R. Wooden Award. She leads the Big 12 in scoring (22.7 ppg), is second in rebounding (8.6 rpg) and was recently named to the Big 12 All-Tournament Team and the All-Big 12 First Team.
"March Madness, this is what we live for!" said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. "I congratulate each of these 12 finalists, from which one will receive 'The Heisman of Women's Basketball.'"
Adams and the other candidates were selected by a vote of committee members comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators. The committee will select the winner of The State Farm Wade Trophy from the 10-member NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches' All-America Team. The winner will be announced at 9 a.m. EDT Saturday, April 2, in Indianapolis during the WBCA National Convention, which is being held in conjunction with the 2011 NCAA® Women's Final Four®.
"State Farm is extremely proud to recognize and congratulate these 12 outstanding athletes as finalists for The 2011 State Farm Wade Trophy," said Pam El, Marketing Vice President for State Farm. "Their dedication and commitment epitomize the true meaning of student-athlete and they are all very deserving of this great honor."
The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 34th year, is named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade. This most prestigious award, regarded as "The Heisman of Women's Basketball", debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball.
The State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be formally presented her award during the WBCA Awards Show, which will be held at 6 p.m. EDT Monday, April 4, in the Indiana Convention Center's Sagamore Ballroom. This event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four® in Indianapolis.
For a complete list of the finalists, click here.