Wilson Selected As Wooden Award Finalist
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior All-American forward A’ja Wilson has been named a finalist for the 2018 John R. Wooden Award, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Wednesday night during a 30-minute telecast on ESPNU.
Wilson is one of five student-athletes in contention for the national player of the year honor, joining UConn’s Katie Lou Samuelson and Gabby Williams, Louisville’s Asia Durr and Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu.
Voting for the finalists took place March 13-20 to allow voters to take into consideration the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. This year’s winner will be revealed during ESPN’s College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s on Fri., Apr. 6. Each of the finalists for the award will also be recognized during the show.
This season marks the third-straight year Wilson has been selected as a finalist for the national accolade.
The Hopkins, S.C., native remained a force on both ends of the court during her senior campaign, ranking inside the top 10 nationally in points (7th, 22.6) and blocks (5th, 3.2) per game. Both marks paced the SEC, and Wilson led the Gamecocks in scoring in 25 of her 29 games this season. The forward enjoyed her best season on the glass as well, averaging a career-high 11.8 boards per contest.
Wilson, who collected her third SEC Player of the Year honor this season, boasted 21 20-point games and 24 double-doubles as a senior. She guided Carolina to its third NCAA Elite Eight in the last four years, averaging a team-best 22.8 points in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Gamecocks Athletics contributed to this article.
