STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford senior forward Alanna Smith was named to the John R. Wooden Award Women's Late Season Top 20 the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Monday.
The list is comprised of student-athletes who are front-runners for the sport's most prestigious honor, based on their performances during the first three months of the 2018-19 season. The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation's top five players, will be announced the week of the Final Four.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. Previous winners include such notables as Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Candace Parker ('07 and '08), Kevin Durant ('09) and Maya Moore of Connecticut ('09 and '11). Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike won the 2014 Wooden Award.
Smith is on a laundry of watch lists in addition to the Wooden Award, including the Naismith Trophy, Wade Trophy, Katrina McClain Award and Senior CLASS Award, and has backed up that recognition with her play.
A two-time Pac-12 Player of the Week this season (Dec. 17 and Jan. 14) and the espnW and USBWA National Player of the Week from Dec. 17, Smith is shooting 53.6 percent from the field (163-of-304), 45.0 percent from behind the arc (54-of-120) and averaging a team-high 20.9 points per game to go with 8.1 rebounds.
Smith, who has double-doubles in six of her last 12 games, is the only player in the country averaging 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game this season and one of five shooting 45 percent both overall and from deep. She is on track on join Elena Delle Donne as the only players 6-foot-4 and taller over the past 20 years to shoot better than 40 percent from 3-point range for an entire season. Delle Donne made 41.3 percent as a freshman at Delaware in 2009-10 (NCAA minimum of two made 3-pointers per game).
The 6-foot-4 Smith is 20th in school history in scoring (1,443) and fifth in blocks (197) and has made 128 career 3-pointers. She is within range of joining an elite company of players that have put together careers of 1,600 points, 150 made triples and 200 blocks. Since 1999-00, the only three to do that are Delle Donne (3,039 points; 206 3-pointers; 273 blocks), Maya Moore (3,036 points; 311 3-pointers; 204 blocks) and Breanna Stewart (2,676 points; 152 3-pointers; 414 blocks). At her current pace, Smith would reach those numbers by the end of the regular season.
Smith and the No. 11 Cardinal have a big weekend coming up in Maples Pavilion, hosting No. 7 Oregon State on Friday night at 6 p.m. and No. 3 Oregon on Sunday at 1 p.m.
