Wade Trophy Explained

Wade Trophy
Awarded For:	The best female college basketball player in the United States
Presenter:	Women's Basketball Coaches Association (starting in 2001)
Country:	United States
Year:	1978
Holder:	Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Website:	Official website

The Wade Trophy is an award presented annually to the best upperclass women's basketball player in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. It is named after three–time national champion Delta State University coach Lily Margaret Wade. The award debuted in 1978 as the first–ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball. State Farm Insurance sponsors the award, and the trophy is presented at the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Convention.

UConn has the most all-time winners with nine. Maya Moore is the only player to win the Wade Trophy three times, accomplishing the feat in 2009 (only sophomore ever to win the award), 2010 and 2011. Other multiple award winners include Nancy Lieberman (1979, 1980), Seimone Augustus (2005, 2006), Brittney Griner (2012, 2013), Breanna Stewart (2015, 2016), Sabrina Ionescu (2019, 2020), and Caitlin Clark (2023, 2024).

Baylor is in sole possession of second in total awards, and is in a second-place tie with two other schools for the most individual recipients. Three Baylor players have combined to win four awards. The other two programs with three individual recipients are Louisiana Tech and Texas, with all of each school's winners having received the award once. There have never been any ties for the award.

Eligibility and criteria

All academically eligible women's basketball athletes, except freshmen, in NCAA Division I qualify as candidates.

• Member of the NCAA Division I Kodak/WBCA All-America Team
• Game and season statistics
• Effect on team
• Leadership
• Character
• Overall playing ability
• Player that embodies the "Spirit of Margaret Wade" as defined by the WBCA and the NAGWS

Winners

Player (n)

Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Wade Trophy at that point

Season	Player	School	Position	Class	Ref.
1977–78		Montclair State	Forward		^[1]
1978–79		Old Dominion	Guard		^[2]
1979–80	(2)	Old Dominion	Guard
1980–81		Kansas	Guard		^[3]
1981–82		Louisiana Tech	Center		^[4]
1982–83		Long Beach State	Guard		^[5]
1983–84		Louisiana Tech	Forward		^[6]
1984–85		USC	Forward		^[7]
1985–86		Texas	Guard		^[8]
1986–87		Villanova	Forward		^[9]
1987–88		Louisiana Tech	Guard		^[10]
1988–89		Texas	Forward		^[11]
1989–90		Stanford	Guard		^[12]
1990–91		Tennessee	Center		^[13]
1991–92		Penn State	Forward		^[14]
1992–93		Nebraska	Forward		^[15]
1993–94		Minnesota	Forward		^[16]
1994–95		UConn	Center		^[17]
1995–96		UConn	Guard		^[18]
1996–97		Florida	Forward		^[19]
1997–98		Old Dominion	Guard		^[20]
1998–99		Purdue	Guard		^[21]
1999–00		Texas	Guard		^[22]
2000–01		Southwest Missouri State	Guard		^[23]
2001–02		UConn	Guard		^[24]
2002–03		UConn	Forward		^[25]
2003–04		Duke	Guard		^[26]
2004–05		LSU	Guard
2005–06	(2)	LSU	Guard
2006–07		Tennessee	Center		^[27]
2007–08		Stanford	Guard		^[28]
2008–09		UConn	Forward		^[29]
2009–10	(2)	UConn	Forward
2010–11	(3)	UConn	Forward
2011–12		Baylor	Center		^[30]
2012–13	(2)	Baylor	Center
2013–14		Baylor	Guard
2014–15		UConn	Forward
2015–16	(2)	UConn	Forward	Senior	^[31]
2016–17		Washington	Guard		^[32]
2017–18		South Carolina	Forward		^[33]
2018–19		Oregon	Guard		^[34]
2019–20	(2)	Oregon	Guard		^[35]
2020–21		Baylor	Forward		^[36]
2021–22		South Carolina	Forward		^[37]
2022–23		Iowa	Guard		^[38]
2023–24	(2)	Iowa	Guard		^[39]

See also

• List of sports awards honoring women

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Carol Blazejowski - Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. iThemesLab. www.wbhof.com. 2016-04-02.
2. Web site: Augustus Repeats as Wade Trophy Winner; Named Kodak All-American. LSUsports.net. 2016-04-02.
3. Web site: Kansas Sports Hall of Fame - Woodard, Lynette. www.kshof.org. 2016-04-02.
4. News: SPORTS PEOPLE; Pam Kelly Honored. 1982-03-31. The New York Times. 0362-4331. 2016-04-02.
5. News: After College, American Stars Play Overseas--or Not at All. WHITE. LONNIE. 1989-01-10. Los Angeles Times. en-US. 0458-3035. 2016-04-02.
6. Web site: Janice Lawrence Braxton. Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. 2016-04-02.
7. Web site: Reign of Troy honors Black History Month: Cheryl Miller. Reign of Troy. 2016-04-02.
8. Web site: University of Northern Colorado - 2014-15 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff. www.uncbears.com. 2016-04-02.
9. Web site: Pennefather heeds her calling. Wilkinson. Jack. www.catholiceducation.org. 2016-04-02.
10. Web site: Ambassador Teresa Weatherspoon National Basketball Retired Players Association. www.legendsofbasketball.com. 2016-04-02.
11. Web site: Assistant Coach Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil. University of Texas. 2016-04-02.
12. Web site: University of San Francisco Dons Athletics - 2014-15 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff. www.usfdons.com. 2016-04-02.
13. Web site: Daedra Charles-Furlow named girls' coach at West. www.knoxnews.com. 2016-04-02.
14. Web site: FRIARS.COM - Official Athletic Site Official Athletic Site - Women's Basketball. www.friars.com. 2016-04-02.
15. Web site: Karen Jennings. Huskers.com. 2016-04-02.
16. Web site: Catching up with Carol Ann (Shudlick) Smith. www.gophersports.com. 2016-04-02.
17. News: Lobo Awarded Wade Trophy. 1995-04-18. The New York Times. 0362-4331. 2016-04-02.
18. Web site: Hartford Hawks Athletics - 2014-15 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff. www.hartfordhawks.com. 2016-04-02.
19. Web site: SPARKS: Milton-Jones and Ross Reunited by Basketball. www.wnba.com. 2016-04-02.
20. Web site: Ticha Penicheiro Selected For Induction Into The Virginia Sports Hall Of Fame. odusports.com. 2016-04-02.
21. Web site: New Fever coach Stephanie White altered her career plan from astronaut to WNBA leader. Indianapolis Star. 2016-04-02.
22. Web site: GOFROGS.COM - Edwina Brown Bio - TCU Horned Frogs Official Athletic Site. www.gofrogs.com. 2016-04-02.
23. Web site: Jackie Stiles - Women's Basketball Coach. 2020-07-17. Missouri State. en.
24. Web site: ESPN.com: NCW - Bird wins Wade Trophy, AP Player of Year. a.espncdn.com. 2016-04-02.
25. Web site: Margaret Wade: The Coach, The Teacher, The Legend - Delta State University. www.deltastate.edu. 2016-04-02.
26. Web site: Alana Beard Named State Farm Wade Trophy/Associated Press National Player of the Year. goduke.com. 2016-04-02.
27. Web site: CANDACE PARKER NAMED STATE FARM WADE TROPHY PLAYER OF THE YEAR. www.utsports.com. 2016-04-02.
28. Web site: Wiggins wins Wade Trophy as national player of the year. Eymer. Rick. www.paloaltoonline.com. 2016-04-02.
29. Web site: UConn's Maya Moore wins Wade Trophy, AP award. The Day. 2016-04-02.
30. Web site: Odyssey Sims wins 2014 Wade Trophy. www.baylorbears.com. 2016-04-02.
31. Web site: Breanna Stewart of UConn Huskies wins second straight Wade Trophy. espnW. 2016-04-02.
32. Wade Trophy winner Kelsey Plum of Washington headlines 2017 wbca ncaa division i coaches’ all-american team. Women's Basketball Coaches Association. 2017-04-03. en-US.
33. Wade Trophy Winner A'ja Wilson Headlines 2018 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Team . Women's Basketball Coaches Association . March 29, 2018 . March 29, 2018.
34. Wade Trophy Winner Sabrina Ionescu Headlines 2019 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Team . Women's Basketball Coaches Association . April 4, 2019 . April 4, 2019.
35. Web site: Sabrina Ionescu adds second Wade Trophy to growing list of accolades. sports.yahoo.com. en-US. 2020-04-02.
36. Wade Trophy Winner NaLyssa Smith of Baylor Headlines 2021 WBCA Division I Coaches' All-America Team . Women's Basketball Coaches Association . April 3, 2021 . April 3, 2021.
37. Wade Trophy winner Aliyah Boston headlines 2022 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America team . Women's Basketball Coaches Association . March 31, 2022 . April 1, 2022.
38. Wade Trophy Winner Caitlin Clark Headlines 2023 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Team . Women's Basketball Coaches Association . 31 March 2023 . 30 March 2023.
39. Caitlin Clark Wins Second Wade Trophy, Headlines 2024 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Team . Women's Basketball Coaches Association . April 4, 2024 . April 4, 2024.