UConn freshman guard Paige Bueckers and South Carolina sophomore Aliyah Boston, who will try to lead their No. 1 teams in the Elite Eight this weekend, were Friday finalists in college basketball named award finalist John R. Wooden of 2021
Louisville senior guard Dana Evans and Baylor junior striker NaLyssa Smith, whose runners-up will also compete in the Sweet 16, were also named Wooden finalists, awarded annually to the best college female basketball player. .
Kentucky junior guard Rhyne Howard completed the finalists, who were also nominated for the 2021 John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy’s All American Team. Howard’s fourth wildcats were upset by Iowa in the second round of the NCAA Women’s Tournament.
The five players were also named to The Associated Press All-America’s first team earlier this month.
Bueckers leads UConn with 19.9 points per game, 6.0 assists and 2.4 steals. The No. 1 ranked Huskies face the Hawkeyes in the regional semifinals on Saturday (1 p.m. ET, ABC / ESPN app). Bueckers joined Maya Moore as the only UConn players to sweep the Middle East honors of the year and the first year of the year in the same season.
The new favorite in the women’s NCAA tournament according to ESPN’s basketball percentage index, Baylor plays Saturday in Michigan (six in the afternoon, ABC / ESPN app) in Sweet 16. Smith, the big player of the year 12 , averages 18.0 points and 9.0 rebounds – team highs in both categories – for the Lady Bears.
Two-time ACC player of the year, Evans averages 19.6 points and 4.0 assists for the team for Louisville, who play sixth-ranked Oregon on Sunday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN / ESPN application). Boston, who has collected 66 points and 35 rebounds in his last three games, leads South Carolina to the Sweet 16 competition with fifth-seeded Missouri State on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC / ESPN app). Boston averages a double-double at 14.1 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
Howard, a two-time SEC player of the year, averaged 20.7 points and 7.3 rebounds this season.
The Wooden Award for Best Female College Basketball Player was created in 2004. Sabrina Ionescu, of Oregon, won the award in 2018-19 and 2019-20. The 2021 Wood Award winner will be revealed after the NCAA tournament in April.