SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today the 20 watch list candidates for the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award, and Tennessee sophomore forward Rennia Davis is among them.
Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its second year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
Davis, a 6-foot-2 standout from Jacksonville, Fla., averaged 12.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season, starting 32 of 33 contests.She is the Lady Vols’ top returnee in both scoring and rebounding and was named to the seven-player 2018-19 Preseason All-SEC Team by a panel of league and national media members.
Twice named SEC Freshman of the Week, Davis finished the 2017-18 season ranked No. 11 in rebounding in the conference and made the SEC All-Freshman Team. She posted the sixth-best rebounds-per-game average ever by a Lady Vol freshman at 7.6, leading the team on the boards six times during the 2017-18 season. She shot .483 from the field, .329 on three-pointers and .740 from the free throw line, knocking down 25 threes to rank fourth on the team.
The Ribault High School graduate notched nine double-doubles to tie Tamika Catchings for the fifth-most double-doubles recorded by a Lady Vol freshman. Tennessee players ahead of her on the list are Chamique Holdsclaw (16), Sheila Frost (11), Bashaara Graves (10) and Candace Parker (10).
“At USC, Cheryl Miller dominated, winning two NCAA Championships and cementing herself among the game’s all-time greats,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “The women recognized on this watch list should feel honored and we’re thankful to have Cheryl’s input and expertise as we select our Naismith Starting 5 this season.”
The Selection Committee for the Cheryl Miller Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2019 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be revealed on an ESPN platform during the 2019 Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida. Additional awards being presented and recognized at the WBCA Convention include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award. Also being awarded is the Wade Trophy, the sport’s oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award which is presented annually by the WBCA’s community of coaches to the best player in college women’s basketball.
Last season, Gabby Williams of Connecticut was named the inaugural winner of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award.
For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MillerAward on Twitter and Instagram.
2019 Cheryl Miller Award Candidates
Mart’e Grays/DePaul
Leaonna Odom/Duke
Francesca Pan/Georgia Tech
Bridget Carleton/Iowa St
Erika Davenport/Marquette
Kaila Charles/Maryland
Sophie Cunningham/Missouri
Lexi Klabo/North Dakota
Courtney Woods/Northern Illinois
Jackie Young/Notre Dame
Satou Sabally/Oregon
Katie McWilliams/Oregon St.
Miranda Drummond/Syracuse
Rennia Davis/Tennessee
Tia Wooten/Tennessee St.
Joyner Holmes/Texas
Jocelyn Willoughby/Virginia
Elisa Penna/Wake Forest
Borislava Hristova/Washington St.
Naomi Davenport/West Virginia
*Players can play their way onto & off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
About Cheryl Miller: Cheryl Miller took women’s basketball to a new level, literally and figuratively. With her tremendous leaping ability, athletic dexterity and grace, Miller established a legacy throughout her high school and college career that is unparalleled. Playing for Riverside Polytechnic High School (CA), in 1982, Miller set the single game scoring record of 105 points. As a collegiate forward at the University of Southern California from 1982 to 1986, Miller helped bring women’s basketball to the forefront of American sports. In 1984, she led the Olympic team to gold averaging more than 16 points per game. Her superior athletic ability and engaging persona placed her among the elite in the world of college and professional athletics. In 1986, Sports Illustrated named Miller as the best male or female player in college basketball. In a spectacular career, Miller scored 3,018 total career points and was a four-time All-America. Miller was named Naismith Player of the Year three times and earned the Wade Trophy once. Miller was indicted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010. Since retiring from professional play, Miller has had a very successful career as a WNBA GM, professional and collegiate coach, and sportscaster for TNT, ESPN and NBC for the 1996 Olympics.
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