Dana Evans from the University of Louisville, University of Michigan’s Naz Hillmon, Rhyne Howard of the University of Kentucky and Baylor University’s NaLyssa Smith are the four finalists for the Class of 2021 Honda Sport Award for Basketball as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 45 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2021 Honda Cup which will be presented on a telecast on CBS Sports Network on June 28th, at 9 pm ET.
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 guard from Gary, Ind., is a two-time ACC Player of the Year and a two-time finalist for the Wade Trophy Award. The senior was named a 2021 CLASS Award finalist and Senior CLASS All-American and was awarded the 2021 Kay Yow Scholar Athlete of the Year. In addition, she was named a first-team All-American by all the major outlets, including the AP, WBCA and the USBWA and is a two-time All-ACC performer. This is her second straight season as a Honda Award finalist and is also a two-time Meyers Drysdale finalist.
Hillmon, a junior forward hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, was a 2021 Wade Trophy finalist and the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year. She is the University of Michigan’s first-ever All-American after earning first-team All-America honors from the USBWA, WBCA and Sports Illustrated. She is a two-time Katrina McClain Award finalist and a two0time unanimous first-team All-Conference honoree. She scored a school-record 50 points with 16 rebounds at Ohio State and led her team in scoring (23.9 ppg) and rebounding (11.4 rpg).
A junior from Cleveland, Tenn., Howard is a two-time SEC Player of the Year and 2021 Wade Trophy finalist. She earned first-team AP All-American honors twice and is a two-time Wooden Award All-American. She is just the second player in program history to earn first-team honors from a major organization in back-to-back seasons. She is also a 2021 USBWA and WBCA first-team All-American honoree. The guard is a two-time Dawn Staley and Cheryl Miller finalist and has scored 1,655 career points sitting seventh in UK history in points scored.
Smith, a junior from Converse, Texas, was recently named the 2021 Wade Trophy Award winner as the WBCA Player of the Year. The forward was also honored with the 2021 Katrina McClain award was announced a first-team All-American by the AP, WBCA, Wooden Award and ESPN.com. The 2021 Big 12 Player of the Year is a two-time All-Big 12 first-team honoree and was named the 2021 Big 12 Championship most Outstanding Player. She led her team in scoring with 18.0 ppg and rebounds with 8.9 rpg.
The CWSA, celebrating its 45th anniversary 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 partnership 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
For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on improving children’s health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.