Dana Evans of the University of Louisville, University of South Carolina’s Tyasha Harris, Sabrina Ionescu from the University of Oregon and Aari McDonald of the University of Arizona are the four finalists for the Class of 2020 Honda Sport Award for Basketball as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
The CWSA has been balancing the recognition of deserving honorees with these unusual times as collegiate athletics have come to a halt. Given the nationwide pandemic, the CWSA will be announcing the winter honorees, the 2020 Inspiration Award finalists and winner and will announce the status of the 2020 event as those details become clearer.
The finalists were chosen by a panel of coaches representing the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Honda Sport award winner for basketball will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Evans, a junior from Gary, Ind., was named a 2020 Wade Trophy finalist and is the 2020 ACC Player of the Year. She is the first player in ACC history to go from Sixth Player of the Year to ACC Player of the Year. The guard played in 30 games with 29 starts, and led the Cardinals with 18.0 ppg, 4.2 apg and 90 made 3-pointers. She is a two-time All-ACC Academic honoree and earned a espnW and USBWA National Player of the Week nod this season.
Harris led her team to the SEC regular season and tournament championships and is a 2020 Wade Trophy Finalist. She won the Dawn Staley Award and is also a finalist for the Naismith and Nancy Lieberman Awards. The senior guard from Noblesville, Ind., was the first Gamecock to record 700 assists, finishing with 702 to rank 10th all-time in the SEC, and holds the school record for career assist-to-turnover ratio at 2.55. She ranked 10th nationally in assist-to-turnover (2.78).
Ionescu, a senior guard from Walnut Creek, Calif., is a 2020 Wade Trophy finalist after capturing the honor in 2019. She is a two-time Nancy Lieberman Award winner and the 2020 AP, USBWA and ESPN.com Player of the Year. The three-time Pac-12 Player of the Year led the nation in assists (9.1 apg) and added 17.5 ppg. She matched her own NCAA single-season record with eight triple-doubles to extend her all-time record for both women and men to 26 and is the first player in NCAA history to reach 2,000 career points (2,562), 1,000 assists (1,091) and 1,000 rebounds (1,040)
McDonald is a 2020 Wade Trophy Finalist and a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. The junior guard from Fresno, Calif., was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and led the Pac-12 in scoring (20.6 ppg) and steals (2.3 spg). She is the only player in conference history to lead the Pac-12 in points and steals per game in two different seasons and scored in double-figures in 66-straight games, the longest active streak in the nation, also her entire Arizona career.
Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations.
The CWSA, celebrating its 44th year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service. Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.
About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility
Honda also is committed to making positive contributions to the communities where it does business, conducting socially responsible business practices and promoting diversity in its workforce. From Honda's involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to its support of pediatric brain tumor research and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where its associates live and work. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.