North Carolina State University Athletics
Brown-Turner, Cunane Named to National Player of the Year Watch Lists
11/9/2021 12:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RALEIGH – NC State women's basketball veterans Jakia Brown-Turner and Elissa Cunane added to their collections of preseason honors as they were featured on multiple watch lists for National Player of the Year. Both women were named to the 2022 Naismith Trophy Watch List and the Women's Preseason Top 50 Watch List for the 2021-22 John R. Wooden Award, and Cunane was also listed as one of 30 preseason candidates for the Wade Trophy.
Cunane was a finalist on the 15-player National Ballot for the Wooden Award each of the last two seasons, and this marks Brown-Turner's first time appearing on the national watch lists. Both Cunane and Brown-Turner were Preseason All-ACC selections headed into 2021-22 and were named to the preseason watch lists for their respective positions of center (Lisa Leslie Award) and shooting guard (Ann Meyers Drysdale Award).
Also named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Cunane is coming off a 2020-21 campaign during which she was named an All-American by every major outlet, a Consensus First Team All-ACC honoree and a semifinalist for multiple national player of the year awards. The Summerfield, N.C., native averaged a team-leading 16.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 53.3 percent shooting during her junior season. Her field-goal percentage was ranked 26th nationally to conclude the year, and she shot 50+ percent from the floor in 13 outings, including two perfect shooting nights of 6-of-6 or better. Cunane scored in double figures in all but one game last season, and she had six 20+ point outings and seven double-doubles.
Cunane has put together a dynamic career headed into her fourth season with the Wolfpack. She averages 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 54.4 percent shooting through three completed seasons, and she is consistently ranked among the best players in the country across multiple awards committees.
Brown-Turner also enjoyed a decorated sophomore campaign in 2020-21 as she was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press and joined Cunane as a Consensus First team All-ACC honoree.The Oxon Hill, Md., native averaged 13.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season while shooting 44.2 percent from the floor and 37 percent from downtown. Brown-Turner scored in double figures in 20 of 25 games last year, including the first 13 games in a row. She posted the first 20+ point game of her career on Dec. 17 (23 points) and went on to post a total of four such scoring performances on the year.
Through two completed seasons at NC State, Brown-Turner averages 43.3 percent shooting, a 36.9 clip from three-point range and has compiled 639 total points.
The Wooden Award committee will announce a midseason list and a late season list before releasing the National Ballot of 15 players who will be voted upon. The Wooden All-American Team will be announced the week of the Elite Eight, and the winner of the 2022 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
The Wade Trophy committee will review the list midseason to determine if additional players will be added based on their play during the first half of the 2021-22 season.
#GoPack | @PackWomensBball
