Ogwumike A Wade Finalist

Stanford forward Chiney Ogwumike was one of 12 players named a finalist for The Wade Trophy, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced.

Ogwumike will attempt to become Stanford's third Wade Trophy winner, with Jennifer Azzi (1990) and Candice Wiggins (2008) being the two Cardinal recipients.

Also named to the list of finalists with Ogwumike were Stefanie Dolson, Bria Hartley and Breanna Stewart of Connecticut, Jewell Loyd and Kayla McBride of Notre Dame, Jordan Hooper (Nebraska), Natasha Howard (Florida State), Maggie Lucas (Penn State), Tiffany Mitchell (South Carolina), Odyssey Sims (Baylor), and Alyssa Thomas (Maryland).

Ogwumike and the Cardinal  (31-3) swept last weekend's opening-round games in Ames, Iowa to advance to the Stanford Regional on its home court at Maples Pavilion this weekend, where on Sunday it will take on Penn State at 1:34 p.m. The Cypress, Texas native averaged 22.0 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 63.3 percent from the field over Stanford’s two wins in Ames, Iowa in this past weekend’s opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Ogwumike punctuated the weekend with 21 points and nine rebounds and going 8-for-11 from the field in Monday night’s 63-44 second-round win over Florida State.

The weekend performance continued what has been a record-breaking 2013-14 season for the Cypress, Texas native. Through March 24, Ogwumike is the only player in the country to rank in the NCAA’s top 10 in scoring (26.6 ppg – third), rebounding (12.1 rpg – ninth), field-goal percentage (61.1 – fourth) and double-doubles (24 – seventh).

Over nine games against Top-25 teams, Ogwumike has averaged 25.0 points and 12.6 rebounds while shooting 59.4 percent from the field, as the Cardinal has gone 8-1. Three of her 14 30-point games during 2013-14 have come against Top-25 squads, and Ogwumike has scored at least 20 points on 27 occasions.

Her performances led to Stanford winning its 14th straight Pac-12 regular-season title, and to her sweeping the Pac-12’s Player and Defensive Player of the Year awards for the second straight season, with the defensive honor being her third in a row. Ogwumike was also named to espnW’s All-America Team, and this season has been named Pac-12 Player of the Week a record nine times.

Ogwumike has etched her name atop numerous Pac-12 and Stanford record lists during this campaign as well. On January 3 she passed former teammate Kayla Pedersen’s mark of 1,266 career rebounds to become the Pac-12’s all-time leader, and currently has 1,532 for her career. Then, on March 22 against South Dakota, she passed former Stanford Wade Trophy winner Candice Wiggins’ scoring mark of 2,629 points to become the Pac-12’s all-time leading scorer, and currently stands at 2,673.