North Carolina State University Athletics
Elissa Cunane Named to Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
1/25/2022 12:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA – Wolfpack senior Elissa Cunane is one of 15 women's basketball players who is featured on the midseason watch list for the 2022 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year award, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Tuesday.
The NC State center was a semifinalist for the award last season. Cunane has also already been tabbed to the Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 and was on multiple other preseason watch lists for National Player of the Year.
Cunane plays a central role on a Wolfpack squad that holds its opponents to just 35.2 percent shooting (24th nationally) and 56.3 points per game (38th nationally). Her post presence has helped NC State maintain its interior scoring advantage, as the Wolfpack has outscored its opponents in points in the paint in all but two games this year.
The Summerfield, N.C., native averages a block per game, upping that number to 1.4 per game in league play, and has blocked multiple shots in five games this season. She is also a huge factor on the boards, leading the NC State team with her overall rebounding average (7.9) and her defensive rebounding average (5.7). Both of those numbers rank in the top five in the ACC.
Cunane also averages a team-leading 13.8 points per game while averaging just 24.2 minutes per outing. Her points-per-40 number converts to 22.8 per game, which is the second-highest number in the league.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club will announce the Defensive Player of the Year semifinalists on Feb. 28, and the winner of this year's award will be decided during Final Four weekend on April 1.
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