Dec. 2, 2015
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina senior guard Tiffany Mitchell and sophomore forward A’ja Wilson were among 20 women’s basketball players from 16 different schools named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the organization announced today. South Carolina is one of four SEC schools represented on the list and one of three teams with multiple entries on the watch list for the national player of the year award.
Mitchell is a two-time All-America selection and the two-time reigning SEC Player of the Year. She has been the Gamecocks’ go-to player at crunch time the last two seasons, helping South Carolina to back-to-back SEC regular-season titles, the 2015 SEC Tournament championship and the 2015 NCAA Final Four. She ranks among the program’s all-time top 15 scorers and is just 55 points from reaching the top 10. She already ranks among the program’s top 10 in career 3-pointers made (130) and free throws made (345). This season she is second on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game, shooting 41.1 percent from the field.
Early in her sophomore season, Wilson is rivaling her freshman effort, which yielded First-Team All-SEC honors and a spot on the Associated Press All-America Third Team, making her the first Gamecock freshman to earn All-America status. She is South Carolina’s top scorer and rebounder this season, averaging 17.0 points and 9.0 boards through seven games. Wilson ranks seventh in the nation with four double-doubles this season and captured SEC Player of the Week recognition twice in the first three weeks of the season. She is shooting 54.9 percent from the field and averages 3.14 blocks to rank 13th in the country.
After a five-game road stretch, No. 2/2 South Carolina returns to Colonial Life Arena on Sun., Dec. 6, to host No. 14/13 Duke at 2 p.m. The game, which will air on ESPN2, opens a three-game home stand for the Gamecocks.
Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List
Jillian Alleyne, Oregon
Nina Davis, Baylor
Nia Coffey, Northwestern
Kahleah Copper, Rutgers
Diamond DeShields, Tennessee
Rebecca Greenwell, Duke
Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut
Jonquel Jones, George Washington
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina
Leticia Romero, Florida State
Azura Stevens, Duke
Breanna Stewart, Connecticut
Morgan Tuck, Connecticut
Brianna Turner, Notre Dame
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Courtney Williams, Texas A&M
Courtney Williams, South Florida
A’ja Wilson, South Carolina
