McCoughtry, Montgomery, Moore and Paris Named Naismith Trophy Finalists
Fans Will Have An Opportunity To Vote For The Winner Using Their AT&T Phone
ATLANTA (March 21, 2009) – The top-ranked and undefeated University of Connecticut Lady Huskies are looking to claim the school’s sixth national championship and its third perfect season as the tournament starts today. And from an individual award perspective, UCONN has a strong chance to capture college basketball’s player of the year award as two players make up the final ballot of the 2009 Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Renee Montgomery and Maya Moore join Angel McCoughtry (Louisville) and Courtney Paris (Oklahoma) to vie for the most prestigious national award in women’s college basketball.
The finalists were voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season. The vote was tabulated and certified by the accounting firm of Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP. HA&W is the largest independent accounting firm in Georgia and one of the top 50 firms in the United States.
The Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year winner will be announced during the WBCA awards luncheon April 6 in St. Louis.
“All four candidates offer intriguing story lines, whether it’s the three seniors who have had magnificent careers or a sophomore who’s already won a Naismith Trophy at the high school level,” said Gary Stokan, Atlanta Tipoff Club president. “The upcoming tournament will showcase tremendous basketball and will also position one of these deserving candidates to claim the Naismith Trophy.”
For the sixth consecutive season, presenting sponsor AT&T will once again set the standard in allowing fans to participate in determining this year’s winner. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25 percent of the final results — more than any other national college basketball award. Beginning March 22, AT&T wireless customers – and sports fans on other wireless networks – will be able to text their votes for the player of their choice. Voting for the Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year award will end on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at 9:00 p.m. EDT. AT&T is making the voting open to other wireless carriers allowing even more fans to participate. Other wireless carriers must opt-in for their subscribers to participate.
“At AT&T, we’re glad to help connect people with the collegiate sports they love,” said Tim McGhee, executive director, AT&T Corporate Sponsorships. “Voting for the esteemed Naismith Trophy winners is one more way fans can voice their support for the players and teams they’re rooting for this season. We’re proud to sponsor the Naismith, and we’re glad to share in the excitement as the competition — and text voting — continues.”
ABOUT THE FINALISTS
Angel McCoughtry: The 6-1 senior forward from Baltimore, Md., averaged 23.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season en route to becoming a first-team All-BIG EAST selection for the third straight season. She also earned BIG EAST All-Tournament honors. McCoughtry was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in several statistical categories this season. For the third straight season, she led the league in points per game (26.6), rebounds (10.0) and steals (78) becoming the first player in conference history to achieve such a feat. She leads the nation in steals with 4.7 steals per game.
Renee Montgomery: A senior guard, she averaged 15.8 points and 5.2 assists per game and was a unanimous first-team All- BIG EAST selection. She became the first-ever “active” player to be inducted into the “Huskies of Honor” and became the first player ever under Geno Auriemma to be a team captain three straight seasons.
Maya Moore: The two-time BIG EAST Player of the Year averaged 19.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game while shooting 53 percent from the field. Moore needs just 64 points to break the UCONN single-season scoring mark (694). The sophomore forward won the Naismith High School Girl’s Player of the Year award in both 2006 and 2007 and would become just the sixth player ever to win both the Naismith High School and College Player of the Year awards.
Courtney Paris: A 4-year finalist for this award, the 6-4 senior center helped Oklahoma dominate the Big 12 Conference this season, taking a 15-1 league record and regular season championship. She averaged 16.4 points and 13.7 rebounds during the regular season and is 30 rebounds shy of becoming the first college basketball player in history to reach 2,500 points and 2,000 rebounds in a career. Paris won the Naismith High School Girl’s Player of the Year award in 2005.
Other notable Naismith Trophy past winners include Cheryl Miller (USC), Dawn Staley (Virginia), Lindsey Harding (Duke) and last year’s winner, Candace Parker of Tennessee.
For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com.
ABOUT THE ATLANTA TIPOFF CLUB
The Atlanta Tipoff Club, an Atlanta Sports Council property, is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club, founded during the 1956-57 season, has presented the Naismith Trophy every year since UCLA’s Lew Alcindor first won the award in 1969. Old Dominion’s Anne Donovan won the inaugural Women’s Naismith Trophy in 1983.
The Naismith Award has become an emblem of excellence for the game, recognizing the Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Player of the Year, Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Coach of the Year, as well as awards for outstanding achievement in high school basketball, officiating, and contribution to the game.
ABOUT AT&T Inc.
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, AT&T operating companies, are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world's most advanced IP-based business communications services, the nation’s fastest 3G network and the best wireless coverage worldwide, and the nation's leading high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, AT&T is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the AT&T brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of their three-screen integration strategy, AT&T operating companies are expanding their TV entertainment offerings. In 2008, AT&T again ranked No. 1 in the telecommunications industry on FORTUNE®magazine’s lists of the World’s Most Admired Companies and America’s Most Admired Companies. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.
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