AuburnTigers.com
    DeWanna Bonner Named To Naismith Award Watch List Bonner one of 50 players vying for national player of the year honors
    DeWanna Bonner

    DeWanna Bonner

    Dec. 19, 2008

    ATLANTA - Auburn senior DeWanna Bonner was one of 50 women's basketball players named to the Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T early season watch list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Friday.

    The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2008-09 college basketball season. The watch list does not include incoming freshmen, although those student-athletes will be considered in the first vote in February, 2009. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2009 NCAA Women's Final Four in St. Louis, Mo.

    "It is a great honor for DeWanna to be recognized among the best of our women's college players," said Auburn head coach Nell Fortner. "It is a tremendous honor for her and Auburn. She is having a great senior year so far and we are looking forward to seeing what else she can do."

    The Tigers are currently 10-0 on the season, led by Bonner with her 19.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Chosen as the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, the Huntsville, Ala., native currently ranks among the best all-time at Auburn in nearly every major statistical category. She ranks ninth in field goals, second in free throws made, sixth in scoring, seventh in rebounds, ninth in blocks and ninth in steals.

    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% of the final results - more than any other national college basketball award.

    In February, the Naismith Trophy voting academy, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country, will narrow its preseason list to the Top 30 players in the nation. Those players, and others who distinguish themselves throughout the season, will be eligible for the final ballot in March.

     

     

    Notable Naismith Trophy past winners include Cheryl Miller (USC), Dawn Staley (Virginia), Lindsey Harding (Duke) and last year's winner, Candace Parker (Tennessee). The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball's player of the year. 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 in 1956, has presented the Naismith Trophy 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 overall contribution to the game.

    2008-09 Naismith Trophy early season watch list:
    Rachel Allison, Baylor
    Jayne Appel, Stanford
    Ashley Barlow, Notre Dame
    Chante Black, Duke
    DeWanna Bonner, Auburn
    Heather Bowman, Gonzaga
    Arnika Brown, Western Kentucky
    Jernisha Cann, IUPUI
    Carlee Cassidy, Maryland-Baltimore County
    Tina Charles, Connecticut
    Kristi Cirone, Illinois State
    Alysha Clark, Middle Tennessee
    Marissa Coleman, Maryland
    Dellena Criner, Nevada
    Allyssa DeHaan, Michigan State
    Tiera DeLaHoussaye, Western Michigan
    Erin Dixon, Texas-Arlington
    Krustal Ellis , Marquette
    Dawn Evans, James Madison
    Rachele Fitz, Marist
    Amber Guffey, Murray State
    Amber Harris, Xavier
    Britni Houghton, Central Michigan
    Ashley Houts, Georgia
    Ify Ibekwe, Arizona
    Amber Jackson, North Texas
    Amy Jaeschke, Northwestern
    Jantel Lavender, Ohio State
    Judie Lomax, Columbia
    Gabriela Marginean, Drexel
    Rashanda McCants, North Carolina
    Angel McCoughtry, Louisville
    Phyllisha Mitchell, Tennessee-Martin
    Renee Montgomery, Connecticut
    Maya Moore, Connecticut
    Courtney Paris, Oklahoma
    Ta'Shia Phillips, Xavier
    Epiphanny Prince, Rutgers
    Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State
    Jenna Smith, Illinois
    Takia Starks, Texas A&M
    Kristi Toliver, Maryland
    Kia Vaughn, Rutgers
    Ashley Walker, California
    Abby Waner, Duke
    Morgan Warburton, Utah
    Christina Wirth, Vanderbilt
    Noteisha Womack, Steon Hall
    Monica Wright, Virginia
    Shavonte Zellous, Pittsburgh

    Auburn Tiger Features

    2012 Fan Guide iOS App: FREE Shop
    Louisville Slugger Shop