July 30, 2009
ATLANTA - San Diego State senior Jené Morris (San Francisco, Calif.) has been named to the 2009-10 preseason "Wade Watch" list for the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Thursday.
The 25-member list is made up of top NCAA Division I student-athletes who best embody the spirit of Lily Margaret Wade according to the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability.
"What an exciting and well-deserved accomplishment," head coach Beth Burns said. "Jené is at her best when the stakes are the highest; the truest sign of an ultimate competitor. She has attacked every aspect of her game, and excels at both ends of the court.
"To be recognized as one of the top-25 collegiate basketball players in the country is a fantastic statement about Jené, her teammates, our program, and San Diego State University. We are very proud of her and are anxious to get the 2009-10 season underway."
Last season, Morris, a 2008-09 honorable mention State Farm Coaches' All-American, led San Diego State to the program's first NCAA tournament bid in 12 years and the team's first NCAA victory in 15 seasons, before falling in the second round to second-ranked and eventual Final Four participant Stanford. She averaged a team-best 16.1 points per game, scoring 20 or more points eight times and eclipsing the 30-point barrier on three occasions, including a 35-point performance vs. DePaul in the Aztecs' first round NCAA tournament game.
She led the league in steals in both overall (3.33/g) and conference-only (2.94/g) outings, ranking seventh nationally and becoming the first Aztec to record 100 steals in a season since Falisha Wright in 1993-94. Morris had three or more steals in 20 of her 30 games, including a league-high eight on two occasions, which are the most by an Aztec since 2002.
Morris' other honors last season included being named the 2009 MWC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team all-conference, MWC all-defensive team, MWC Championship all-tournament team and four-time MWC player of the week.
SDSU ended the year with a 24-8 overall record and a 13-3 mark in conference play, capturing a share of its first-ever Mountain West Conference regular season title and advancing to its second consecutive MWC championship game.
The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 33rd year and named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade, debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball. This highly prestigious award, regarded as the "Heisman of Women's Basketball," is organized by the WBCA, in conjunction with the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS). This year's "Wade Watch" list has 20 institutions and 10 conference represented.
Past winners of the prestigious award include Maya Moore (2009), Candice Wiggins (2008), Candace Parker (2007), Seimone Augustus (2005-06), Sue Bird (2002), Rebecca Lobo (1995), Teresa Weatherspoon (1988), Cheryl Miller (1985) and Nancy Lieberman (1979-80).
The 2010 State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be announced at the WBCA National Convention, held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four, in San Antonio, Texas, April 2-6.
2009-2010 State Farm Wade Trophy Preseason List
Name - Year - Position - Institution
Jayne Appel - Senior - F/C - Stanford
Jessica Breland - Senior - F - North Carolina
Tina Charles - Senior - C/F - Connecticut
Alysha Clark - Senior - F - Middle Tennessee
Allyssa DeHaan - Senior - C - Michigan State
Alexis Gray-Lawson - Senior - G - Cal
Tiffany Hayes - Sophomore - G - Connecticut
Allison Hightower - Senior - G - LSU
Ashley Houts - Senior - G - Georgia
Jantel Lavender - Junior - C - Ohio State
Danielle McCray - Senior - G/F - Kansas
Jacinta Monroe - Senior - F/C - Florida State
Maya Moore - Junior - F - Connecticut
Jené Morris - Senior - G - San Diego State
Deirdre Naughton - Senior - G - DePaul
Kayla Pederson - Junior - F - Stanford
Ta'Shia Phillips - Junior - C - Xavier
Jeanette Pohlen - Junior - G - Stanford
Samantha Prahalis - Sophomore - G - Ohio State
Andrea Riley - Junior - G - Oklahoma State
Danielle Robinson - Junior - G - Oklahoma
Jenna Smith - Senior - C - Illinois
Carolyn Swords - Junior - C - Boston College
Courtney Vandersloot - Junior - G - Gonzaga
Monica Wright - Senior - G - Virginia
The Wade Trophy Coalition was established in June of 2000 when the WBCA partnered with The National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS). For the past eight years the two have worked together to present The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. A committee comprised of coaches, administration and media from across the United States selects the winner.