Feb. 8, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior center Alaina Coates and junior forward A’ja Wilson are among the 30 players in contention for the 2017 Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year Award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Wednesday.

The 10 national semifinalists for the honor will be announced on March 2. Wilson was selected as a finalist for the 2016 Naismith Trophy, while Coates earned a spot on the award’s Midseason Watch List a year ago.

Coates, the SEC’s leader in rebounds per game (11.6) and field goal percentage (.665), has been a consistent force down low in her final season with the Gamecocks. The center boasts 14 double-doubles on the season, including seven in league play, and she has led Carolina in scoring eight times. Coates, whose 56 double-doubles lead all active Division I players, grabbed a career-best 19 boards to go with 18 points in the Gamecocks’ win at Arkansas this past Sunday.

Wilson remains a factor at both ends of the court in her junior season. The Hopkins, S.C., native ranks third in the SEC in blocks per game (2.2), and her team-high 17.0 points per contest is good for fifth among conference players. Wilson is also listed fifth in the league in field goal percentage (.575), and she has recorded seven 20-point games, including a 26-point effort in Carolina’s over No. 4/4 Mississippi State on Jan. 23.

The No. 6/6 Gamecocks (20-2, 10-1) resume conference play Thursday at Colonial Life Arena against Auburn. The game, which tips off at 7 p.m., can be seen on SEC Network+ through WatchESPN.