STANFORD, Calif. – Alanna Smith has made the Women's National Ballot for the 2019 John R. Wooden Award the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Saturday.
Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the National Ballot consists of 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All American Team and Wooden Award Trophy as the most outstanding college basketball player in the United States.
Smith is on every major watch list in addition to the Wooden Award, including the Katrina McClain Award, Naismith Trophy, Wade Trophy and Senior CLASS Award, and has backed up that recognition with her play. She is shooting 51.8 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from behind the arc and averaging a team-high 19.6 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks.
Smith, who averaged 20.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 18 Pac-12 games this season, was one of two players in the country to average 20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in conference. She is also one of two nationally averaging 19.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game overall and is attempting to become just the fifth player in program history to average 20.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in a season, joining Chiney Ogwumike (2013-14 and 2012-13), Nneka Ogwumike (2011-12), Nicole Powell (2003-04) and Jeanne Ruark Hoff (1979-80 and 1978-79).
Smith is also tracking to 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 12th in school history in scoring (1,591) and second in blocks (220) and has made 140 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).
Smith is one of six players to have 60+ 3-pointers and 60+ blocks in a single season across all of NCAA women's basketball since 1999-00 and with four more makes from deep would be just the second to accumulate 70 3-pointers and 70 blocks in a season. Her 73 rejections this year are second in Stanford history behind Jayne Appel's 84 in 2007-08.
Voting will take place from March 19th to March 26th, and voters take into consideration a player's entire season of play, as well as the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The Wooden Award All American Team, consisting of the nation's top five players and the finalists for the Wooden Award will be announced following the Elite Eight and will be the focus of a 30-minute show on April 3 on ESPNU at 3:30 p.m. PT.
The 43rd annual presentation of the John R. Wooden Award to the men's and women's most outstanding college basketball player will be the anchor presentation of the ESPN College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy's on ESPN2 on Friday, April 12.