SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Georgia Tech women’s basketball junior guard Francesca Pan was one of 20 candidates selected to the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award watch list as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association on Wednesday. Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its second year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
The team’s leading returning scorer from last season, Pan averaged 14.3 points per game. She started all 34 contests as a sophomore and also led Tech from three-point range, connecting on 79 treys. She finished last season with 27 games scoring in double-figures, including six 20-plus point outings.
As a freshman, Pan finished second on the team in scoring with an 11.5 points per game average and was tabbed the 2016-17 ACC Freshman of the Year. She led all freshmen in the ACC in scoring during her inaugural collegiate campaign and was tabbed the ACC Rookie of the Week five times. She has been twice-named to the All-ACC Academic Team and ACC Honor Roll.
Pan is one of six candidates on the watch list representing the ACC. She is joined on the list by Duke’s Leaonna Odom, Notre Dame’s Jackie Young, Syracuse’s Miranda Drummond, Virginia’s Jocelyn Willoughby and Wake Forest’s Elisa Penna.
The Selection Committee of the Cheryl Miller Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players will be narrowed down to 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2019 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be revealed on an ESPN platform during the 2019 Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida.
For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MillerAward on Twitter and Instagram.
2019 Cheryl Miller Award Candidates
Mart’e Grays – DePaul
Leaonna Odom – Duke
Francesca Pan – Georgia Tech
Bridget Carleton – Iowa State
Erika Davenport – Marquette
Kaila Charles – Maryland
Sophie Cunningham – Missouri
Lexi Klabo – North Dakota
Courtney Woods – Northern Illinois
Jackie Young – Notre Dame
Satou Sabally – Oregon
Katie McWilliams – Oregon State
Miranda Drummond – Syracuse
Rennia Davis – Tennessee
Tia Wooten – Tennessee State
Joyner Holmes – Texas
Jocelyn Willoughby – Virginia
Elisa Penna – Wake Forest
Borislava Hristova – Washington State
Naomi Davenport – West Virginia
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
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