ATLANTA – Teammates
Becca Hittner (Urbandale, Iowa) and
Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) of the Drake University women's basketball team have each been selected to the "Wade Watch" list of candidates for the 2020 Wade Trophy presented to the best player in college women's basketball, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced Thursday, Nov. 7.
The Wade Trophy honor adds to an impressive list for Hittner, who is also on the Ann Meyers Drysdale and Wooden award preseason lists. Last month, Rhine was chosen to the Katrina McClain award preseason list for the second consecutive year. The duo joins Oregon State and Stanford, which have two honorees each while Oregon and UConn each have three student-athletes on the national list. The "Wade Watch" list of candidates for the Wade Trophy is composed of players selected by the WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-America Selection Committee.
Last season, Hittner was a WBCA All-America nominee. She is the back-to-back Jackie Stiles Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, and led the MVC in scoring each of the past two seasons, including a career-high 19.7 points per game in 2018-19. She was named to the All-MVC First Team for the third-consecutive season. Hittner had 15 20-plus scoring performances and four 30-plus games last season.
Rhine is coming off another banner season in 2018-19. She averaged 18.3 points per game which was just behind Hittner for tops in the conference and pulled down 8.3 rebounds while shooting a league-best 61.2 percent from the floor. Rhine was selected to the All-MVC First Team for the second consecutive season. She recorded a team-high 13 double-doubles and 14 20-plus scoring performances.
The Wade Trophy — now in its 43nd year — is the oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award in college women's basketball. It is named in honor of the late, legendary Delta State University head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen.
Drake open the 2019-20 season Friday at the Knapp Center against 2019 Sweet 16 participant, South Dakota State.
Here is the list:
| Name |
Institution |
Position |
Height |
Current Year |
| Bella Alarie |
Princeton |
Forward |
6-4 |
Sr. |
| Janelle Bailey |
North Carolina |
Center |
6-4 |
Jr. |
| DiJonai Carrington |
Stanford |
Guard |
5-11 |
Sr. |
| Chennedy Carter |
Texas A&M |
Guard |
5-7 |
Jr. |
| Kalia Charles |
Maryland |
Guard |
6-1 |
Sr. |
| Lauren Cox |
Baylor |
Forward |
6-4 |
Sr. |
| Crystal Dangerfield |
UConn |
Guard |
5-5 |
Sr. |
| Rennia Davis |
Tennessee |
Guard |
6-2 |
Jr. |
| Chelsea Dungee |
Arkansas |
Guard |
5-11 |
RS Jr. |
| Kiah Gillespie |
Florida State |
Forward |
6-2 |
RS Sr. |
| Haley Gorecki |
Duke |
Guard |
6-0 |
Grad. |
| Ae'Rianna Harris |
Purdue |
Forward |
6-1 |
Sr. |
| Tyasha Harris |
South Carolina |
Guard |
5-10 |
Sr. |
| Ruthy Hebard |
Oregon |
Forward |
6-4 |
Sr. |
| Becca Hittner |
Drake |
Guard |
6-0 |
Sr. |
| Rhyne Howard |
Kentucky |
Guard |
6-2 |
So. |
| Sabrina Ionescu |
Oregon |
Guard |
5-11 |
Sr. |
| Tynice Martin |
West Virginia |
Guard |
5-11 |
RS Sr. |
| Aari McDonald |
Arizona |
Guard |
5-6 |
Jr. |
| Beatrice Mompremier |
Miami (FL) |
Forward |
6-4 |
RS Sr. |
| Michaela Onyenwere |
UCLA |
Forward |
6-0 |
Jr. |
| Destiny Pitts |
Minnesota |
Guard |
5-10 |
Jr. |
| MiKayla Pivec |
Oregon State |
Guard |
5-10 |
Sr. |
| Sara Rhine |
Drake |
Forward |
6-1 |
RS Sr. |
| Satou Sabally |
Oregon |
Forward |
6-4 |
Jr. |
| Destiny Slocum |
Oregon State |
Guard |
5-7 |
RS Jr. |
| Megan Walker |
UConn |
Forward |
6-1 |
Jr. |
| Christyn Williams |
UConn |
Guard |
5-11 |
So. |
| Kiana Williams |
Stanford |
Guard |
5-8 |
Jr. |
| Peyton Williams |
Kansas State |
Forward |
6-4 |
Sr. |
