Mitchell Named to Dawn Staley Award Watch List

 COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina sophomore Tiffany Mitchell(Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day) earned a spot on the 2014 Dawn Staley Award Watch List, the Phoenix Club of Philadelphia announced.

In its second season, the award recognizes the nation’s best guard in Women’s Division I college basketball, exemplified by the skills that Staley possessed – ball handling, scoring, ability to distribute and will to win.

Mitchell is the top scorer of the No. 6/7 Gamecocks and one of the most versatile players in the SEC. She ranks among the league’s top 15 in scoring (9th, 15.5 ppg), field goal percentage (3rd, .526), assists (12th, 3.6 apg), free throw percentage (9th, .758), steals (2nd, 2.5 spg) and assist-to-turnover ratio (14th, 1.4). Her steals average is 40th in the nation, and she ranks 54th in field goal percentage. Through nine SEC games, Mitchell is the only player in the league to rank among the league’s top 20 scorers and rebounders and its top 15 in assists and steals in conference games.

The team’s top scorer nine times, Mitchell has scored in double figures 20 times in 22 games, including eight of nine SEC contests. She has handed out five or more assists five times this season, highlighted by a career-high nine at San Diego State and a pair of eight-assist games in SEC action. Her career-high six steals at Auburn are the most by any SEC player in a conference game this season.

The Dawn Staley Award will be announced during NCAA Final Four weekend with the awards ceremony held in April 2014 at the Union League of Philadelphia.

South Carolina is back in action on Thu., Feb. 6, at Mississippi State before returning to Colonial Life Arena for a 2 p.m. tipoff against Arkansas on Sun., Feb. 9.