Laksa Selected to Wooden Award Watch List
LOS ANGELES, NOV. 10, 2018 –Senior USF women's basketball player
Kitija Laksa has been selected to the 2018-19 John R. Wooden Award, presented by Wendy's, Preseason Top 30 Watch List.
The list is comprised of 30 student-athletes who are the early front-runners for college basketball's most prestigious honors, the John R. Wooden Award All American Team and Most Outstanding Player Award. The list is chosen by a preseason poll of national women's college basketball media members.
Laksa is a two time honorable mention WBCA All-American and broke the sophomore scoring record at USF in 2016-17 and the junior scoring record in 2017-18. She set two NCAA records last season, shooting 96.5 percent from the free-throw-line on the year for the best yet across the NCAA, and made 11 consecutive three-pointers in a game last winter for her second record.
She has been named a Preseason American Athletic Conference first teamer, a unanimous decision by the AAC coaches. Laksa is one of six returners to the list that were named to the 2017-18 watch list, and one of four who return from last season's five finalists.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation's best basketball player at an NCAA Division I university who has proven to his or her university that he or she meets or exceeds the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07 & '08), Maya Moore ('09 & '11), Chiney Ogwumike ('14), and last year's recipients, A'ja Wilson of South Carolina and Jalen Brunson of Villanova.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow them to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2019 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's during the ESPN College Basketball Awards on Friday, April 12, 2019.
The John R. Wooden Award donated almost a million dollars to each universities' general scholarship fund in the names of those who were chosen as a Wooden Award All American since the award's creation in 1976. Previous winners include Michael Jordan ('84), Kevin Durant ('07), and Candace Parker ('07 & '08).
Six conferences are represented on the Preseason Top 30 list. The ACC leads all conferences with 9 selections, followed by the Pac-12 and SEC with six selections apiece, the American (4), Big 12 (3) and Big Ten (2). Of the student-athletes selected for the Preseason Top 30 list, 28 of the 30 are upperclassmen, including 19 seniors. Continuing a trend, no freshman made the Preseason Top 30.
| Name |
School |
Conference |
Height |
Class |
Position |
| Kristine Anigwe |
California |
Pac-12 |
6-4 |
Sr. |
F/C |
| Kalani Brown |
Baylor |
Big 12 |
6-7 |
Sr. |
C |
| Bridget Carleton |
Iowa State |
Big 12 |
6-1 |
Sr. |
G |
| Chennedy Carter |
Texas A&M |
SEC |
5-7 |
So. |
G |
| Kaila Charles |
Maryland |
Big Ten |
6-1 |
Jr. |
G |
| Napheesa Collier |
Connecticut |
American |
6-1 |
Sr. |
F |
| Lauren Cox |
Baylor |
Big 12 |
6-4 |
Jr. |
F |
| Sophie Cunningham |
Missouri |
SEC |
6-1 |
Sr. |
G |
| Crystal Dangerfield |
Connecticut |
American |
5-5 |
Jr. |
G |
| Rennia Davis |
Tennessee |
SEC |
6-2 |
So. |
G/F |
| Asia Durr# |
Louisville |
ACC |
5-10 |
Sr. |
G |
| Megan Gustafson |
Iowa |
Big Ten |
6-3 |
Sr. |
F |
| Ruthy Hebard |
Oregon |
Pac-12 |
6-4 |
Jr. |
F |
| Anriel Howard |
Mississippi State |
SEC |
5-11 |
Sr. |
F |
| Sabrina Ionescu# |
Oregon |
Pac-12 |
5-11 |
Jr. |
G |
| Paris Kea |
North Carolina |
ACC |
5-9 |
Sr. |
G |
| Kitija Laska |
South Florida |
American |
6-0 |
Sr. |
W |
| Marina Mabrey |
Notre Dame |
ACC |
5-11 |
Sr. |
G |
| Tiana Mangakahia |
Syracuse |
ACC |
5-6 |
Jr. |
G |
| Teaira McCowan |
Mississippi State |
SEC |
6-7 |
Sr. |
C |
| Leaonna Odom |
Duke |
ACC |
6-2 |
Jr. |
F |
| Arike Ogunbowale |
Notre Dame |
ACC |
5-8 |
Sr. |
G |
| Caliya Robinson |
Georgia |
SEC |
6-3 |
Sr. |
F |
| Katie Lou Samuelson# |
Connecticut |
American |
6-3 |
Sr. |
G/F |
| Jessica Shepard |
Notre Dame |
ACC |
6-4 |
Sr. |
F |
| Destiny Slocum |
Oregon State |
Pac-12 |
5-7 |
So. |
G |
| Alanna Smith |
Stanford |
Pac-12 |
6-4 |
Sr. |
F |
| Brianna Turner |
Notre Dame |
ACC |
6-3 |
Sr. |
F |
| Kiana Williams |
Stanford |
Pac-12 |
5-8 |
So. |
G |
| Jackie Young |
Notre Dame |
ACC |
6-0 |
Jr. |
G |
# indicates players selected as a 2017-18 John R. Wooden Award All American
About Kitija Laksa
With USF, Laksa broke the junior scoring record with 717 points in her junior season. She set two NCAA records in 2017-18, including free-throw percentage with 96.5 percent efficiency, and consecutive three-pointers made in a game with 11 on Dec. 15, 2017. The Riga, Latvia native averaged 21.1 points per game on the year and returns in 2018-19 as the Bulls' leading scorer for her senior season.
Laksa currently ranks sixth in program history on the all-time scoring list, amassing 1,715 points in her career. She will chase the all-time scoring record at USF in 2018-19, currently held by Jessica Dickson (2003-07) with 2,402 points.
-- #AllAmeriKit --
About USF Women's Basketball
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USF notched its sixth consecutive 20-win season and fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18. It marked the ninth 20-win season in program history, with head coach Jose Fernandez at the helm for all nine. The Bulls posted 26 wins in 2017-18, just shy of the program record of 27 set in 2008-09 and 2014-15.
USF has made 14 postseason tournament appearances and had six NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 18 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to nine 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship and won more than 300 games.
--#GoBulls –
