North Carolina State University Athletics
Cunane Named One of 11 Semifinalists for Naismith Player of the Year
3/2/2021 12:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA – Junior center Elissa Cunane of the third-ranked NC State women's basketball team was named a semifinalist for the 2021 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's Player of the Year award, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Tuesday.
Cunane was also recently named to the organization's semifinalist list for Women's Defensive Player of the Year, the only ACC player featured on that list. She is also part of the John R. Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 and is one of 10 finalists for the 2021 Lisa Leslie Award.
A unanimous First Team All-ACC honoree for the second season in a row, Cunane continues to prove herself as one of the nation's top players. She is the centerpiece to the Pack's four-out, one-in system that put together a 17-2 regular season record and heads to the 2021 ACC Tournament later this week as the No. 2 seed.
Cunane averages a team-leading 15.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 55.7 percent (93-of-167) shooting and 1.0 blocks per game. All of those numbers rank in the top 15 in the league, with her field-goal percentage ranking 20th in the nation. She puts up those averages with 25.2 minutes per game.
The Summerfield, N.C., native has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, with three 20+ point outings and five double-doubles on the year. She shot 50+ percent from the floor in a total of 10 outings, including two perfect shooting nights against NC Central (6-of-6) and Boston College (9-of-9).
The Atlanta Tipoff Club will announce its finalists for the award on March 18 and will announce its National Player of the Year on April 3.
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