Nunn named to watch list for 2019 Lisa Leslie Award
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The University of New Mexico senior center Jaisa Nunn has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2019 Lisa Leslie Award as it was announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) on Friday.
OFFICIAL RELEASE
Entering its second year and named after the three-time All-American and 1994 National Player of the Year, the Lisa Leslie Award recognizes the top centers in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball and is a part of the larger Naismith Starting 5, honoring the best players at each position.
Nunn, a native of Kirkland, Wash., is among 20 to be on the initial watch list, and is one of two from the Mountain West.
For Nunn, inclusion on this preseason watch list comes in response to her breakout junior campaign last season. After leading the team and ranking second in the Mountain West in scoring at 17.0 ppg, Nunn was a 2017-18 All-Mountain West selection. She also led the team and Mountain West in rebounding at 10.2 per game. A near automatic double-double machine, Nunn recorded 19 such games on the year to help her average a double-double for the season and become the only one in the Mountain West to average a double-double in 2017-18.
Three of Nunn’s double-double efforts were 30-point double-doubles as she had 39 points and 13 rebounds vs. No. 16 Marquette, and a pair of the aforementioned double-doubles against San Jose State with a 31-point, 10-rebound game and a 30-point, 11-rebound game against the Spartans.
Towards the end of her junior season, Nunn became the 22nd player in UNM Women’s Basketball history to score over 1,000 career points as she achieved that feat in a 93-73 win over Rice in the WNIT (3/20/18). Nunn is also one of 16 players at UNM to have over 1,000 career points and over 500 career rebounds.
Her sensational junior campaign saw Nunn establish new program single-season records for Field Goal Percentage as she shot an impressively efficient 63.7% (221-of-347) overall from the floor. Additionally, she registered new program records within conference play for Points Scored (330), Field Goals Made (121), Field Goal Percentage (62.1%), and Free Throws Made (87).
The Selection Committee for the Lisa Leslie Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. A fluid list that can see additions and subtraction, the watch list will be narrowed down to 10 by mid-February. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will then also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2019 Lisa Leslie Center Award will be revealed on an ESPN platform during the 2019 Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida. Additional awards being presented and recognized at the WBCA Convention include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award and the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award. Also being awarded is the Wade Trophy, the sport’s oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award which is presented annually by the WBCA’s community of coaches to the best player in college women’s basketball.
2019 Lisa Leslie Award Candidates
Kalani Brown, Baylor
Kristine Anigwe, California
Channon Fluker, Cal State Northridge
Daeja Smith, CSU-Fullerton
Jade Williams, Duke
Megan Gustafson, Iowa
Alex Wittinger, Illinois
Macee Williams, IUPUI
Sam Fuehring, Louisville
Hallie Thome, Michigan
Teaira McCowan, Mississippi St
Kate Cain, Nebraska
Jaisa Nunn, New Mexico
Janelle Bailey, North Carolina
Brianna Turner, Notre Dame
Ae’Rianna Harris, Purdue
Jordan Moore, TCU
Jatarie White, Texas
Katie Powell, UNLV
Mariella Fasoula, Vanderbilt
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
About Lisa Leslie:
Widely regarded as the best player in the country during her senior year of high school, Leslie decided to play basketball close to home at University of Southern California. While at USC, she set Pac-10 records for scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, earning All-Pac-10 honors each of her four seasons. In 1991, she was named national freshman of the year and went on to earn All-American Honors the following three seasons. In her senior season, she won multiple national player of the year awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year and the WBCA Player of the Year. In the summer of 1997, the Women’s National Basketball Association was launched and with it, Lisa Leslie became a household name. The Los Angeles Sparks landed the hometown star, who would go on to help them win two world championships. As an eight-time All-Star and three-time MVP, Leslie became the face of the WNBA. In 2002, she became the first player to dunk in a WNBA game. Leslie retired as the all-time leading rebounder in WNBA history and was an eight-time First Team All-WNBA performer. Internationally, Leslie won four gold medals in Olympic competition. Since retiring from professional play, Leslie has worked as a sports commentator and analyst for several networks, while exploring fashion modeling and acting as well.
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women’s and girls’ basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: www.WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981 or call 1-770-279-8027.
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo “Court of Dreams.” Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit www.hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.