COLLEGE STATION- Courtney Walker was one of 50 players, and one of just five sophomores, named to the Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Walker was a Preseason First Team All-SEC selection by the league's coaches, this season, and was an All-SEC Tournament Team selection a year ago. She is averaging 12.3 points per game this season, with her best effort coming in her last game, a 19 point outing at Houston.
Walker ranks fifth in the SEC in Field Goal Percentage and Assists, and ranks second in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sophomores Bashaara Graves (Tennessee), Jewell Loyd (Notre Dame), Xylina McDaniel (North Carolina), and Breanna Stewart (UConn) join Walker on the list.
Each year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors chooses the 50 pre-season “Naismith Watch” list as well as the mid-season team of 30 candidates. The Naismith voting academy narrows that group down to four finalists who will make up the final ballot. The voting academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, base its criteria on player performance throughout the season.
Walker and the Aggies return to action on Nov. 28 at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands to take on Memphis. The Aggies face Texas and Syracuse on the island before returning home to play San Diego State on Dec. 3.
The full list of candidates is below:
|
NAME
|
CLASS | POSITION | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE |
| Natalie Achonwa | Sr. | Forward | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Rachel Banham | Jr. | Guard | Minnesota | Big Ten |
| Tiffany Bias | Sr. | Guard | Oklahoma State | Big 12 |
| Brittany Boyd | Jr. | Guard | California | Pac-12 |
| Gennifer Brandon | RSr. | Forward | California | Pac-12 |
| Kirby Burkholder | Sr. | Guard | James Madison | Colonial Athletic |
| Asya Bussie | Sr. | Center | West Virginia | Big 12 |
| Hallie Christofferson | Sr. | Forward | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Jerica Coley | Sr. | Guard | Florida International | C-USA |
| Kaela Davis | Fr. | Guard | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| Jazmine Davis | Jr. | Guard | Washington | Pac-12 |
| Diamond DeShields | Fr. | Guard | North Carolina | ACC |
| Stefanie Dolson | Sr. | Center | UConn | American Athletic |
| Aaryn Ellenberg | Sr. | Guard | Oklahoma | Big 12 |
| Christina Foggie | Sr. | Guard | Vanderbilt | SEC |
| Chassidy Fussell | Sr. | Guard | Texas | Big 12 |
| Bashaara Graves | So. | Forward | Tennessee | SEC |
| Chelsea Gray | Sr. | Guard | Duke | ACC |
| Cassie Harberts | Sr. | Forward | USC | Pac-12 |
| Bria Hartley | Sr. | Guard | UConn | American Athletic |
| Jordan Hooper | Sr. | Forward | Nebraska | Big Ten |
| Andrea Hoover | Jr. | Guard | Dayton | Atlantic 10 |
| Natasha Howard | Sr. | Forward | Florida State | ACC |
| Brittany Hrynko | Jr. | Guard | DePaul | Big East |
| Betnijah Laney | Jr. | Guard-Forward | Rutgers | American Athletic |
| Tricia Liston | Sr. | Guard | Duke | ACC |
| Jewell Loyd | So. | Guard | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Maggie Lucas | Sr. | Guard | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Tyaunna Marshall | Sr. | Guard | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| Ariel Massengale | Jr. | Guard | Tennessee | SEC |
| Kayla McBride | Sr. | Guard | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Xylina McDaniel | So. | Forward | North Carolina | ACC |
| Laurin Mincy | RJr. | Guard | Maryland | ACC |
| Courtney Moses | Sr. | Guard | Purdue | Big Ten |
| Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis | Jr. | Forward | UConn | American Athletic |
| Jasmine Newsome | Sr. | Guard | Tennessee-Martin | Ohio Valley |
| Chiney Ogwumike | Sr. | Forward | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Haley Peters | Sr. | Forward-Guard | Duke | ACC |
| Theresa Plaisance | Sr. | Forward | LSU | SEC |
| Michelle Plouffe | Sr. | Forward | Utah | Pac-12 |
| Ebony Rowe | Sr. | Forward | Middle Tennessee | C-USA |
| Schoni Schimmel | Sr. | Guard | Louisville | American Athletic |
| Meighan Simmons | Sr. | Guard | Tennessee | SEC |
| Odyssey Sims | Sr. | Guard | Baylor | Big 12 |
| DeNesha Stallworth | Sr. | Forward | Kentucky | SEC |
| Breanna Stewart | So. | Forward | UConn | American Athletic |
| Alyssa Thomas | Sr. | Forward | Maryland | ACC |
| Courtney Walker | So. | Guard | Texas A&M | SEC |
| Aleighsa Welch | Jr. | Forward | South Carolina | SEC |
| Elizabeth Williams | Jr. | Center-Forward | Duke | ACC |