STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford senior forward Alanna Smith is one of 35 players on the "Wade Watch" list of candidates for the 2019 Wade Trophy, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced Tuesday.
Now in its 42nd year, The Wade Trophy is named in honor of the late, legendary Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen during her six seasons as head coach. First awarded in 1978 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), now known as SHAPE America, the The Wade Trophy has been presented to the WBCA NCAA Division I National Player of the Year since 2001.
Smith is also on watch lists for the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award and Katrina McClain Award. Stanford has had two players take home The Wade Trophy, Jennifer Azzi in 1990 and Candice Wiggins in 2008.
Through three games this season, Smith is averaging 17.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks, shooting 58.1 percent from the floor (18-of-31) and 53.3 percent from deep (8-of-15). In the Cardinal's last game against San Francisco, a 96-62 win, the 6-foot-4 Smith filled the stat sheet with 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, four blocks and five 3-pointers, becoming the eighth player with those numbers in a single game in the last 20 years and the only one to do it in under 30 minutes (26).
No. 8 Stanford is fifth in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 94.0 points per game, and beating its opponents by 35.3 points per outing. The Cardinal tied a school-record with 16 made 3-pointers in a 115-71 victory over Idaho on Nov. 11, the program's fifth-highest point total ever and most since tying a school record with 122 against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 10, 1994. Stanford followed that up with another 15 made triples last Thursday against the Dons.
Stanford hits the road for the first time this season, traveling to Honolulu for an appearance in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown over Thanksgiving break.
Participating in its lone tournament of the fall, Stanford (3-0) will square off against FGCU Friday in the first of three games on successive days. The Cardinal then faces American on Saturday before closing the tournament against host Hawai'i on Sunday evening. All three games can be heard live on GoStanford.com, with Tim Swartz handling play-by-play duties.
