Leger-Walker Named to Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Washington State women's basketball's standout sophomore Charlisse Leger-Walker finds her name among the best shooting guards in the nation, as the reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year is one of 20 players selected to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list as announced by the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Tuesday, Oct. 26.
This marks the first time that Leger-Walker has been included on the prestigious Ann Meyers Drysdale Award watch list, which is presented annually to the best shooting guard in NCAA Division I. She is one of five Pac-12 players to be named to the Drysdale watch list, as Taylor Chavez (Arizona), Sydney Parrish (Oregon), Lexie Hull (Stanford) and Charisma Osborne (UCLA) were also selected to the list.
Last season, the New Zealand native took the Pac-12 by storm, as she was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week a program-record seven times. Leger-Walker is the Pac-12's top returning scorer after averaging a WSU freshman record 18.8 points per game a season ago. The guard scored 20-or-more points in 12 of 24 games played last season, while she also led the Cougars in steals per game at 2.5. Leger-Walker became the 22nd player in Pac-12 history to be selected to both the All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors and she was named to the USBWA All-American Honorable Mention squad.
Started in 2018, the Selection Committee for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is composed of top women's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy's in Los Angeles, California on Friday, April 10, 2020, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five.
College basketball fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March the five finalists will be presented to Ms. Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where a winner will be selected. Fans can vote for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award by clicking the link here.
The WSU women's basketball team gets its final tune-up for the 2021-22 season on Nov. 5, when the Cougars host Northwest Nazarene for an exhibition game. Tip-off from Beasley Coliseum is set for 7 p.m. PT. Washington State unofficially kicked off its season last Sunday, Oct. 24, as the Cougars defeated Saint Martin's, 89-38, in Pullman. Senior Ula Motuga was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field to score a game-high 17 points.
Fans can purchase season and single-game tickets for the 2021-22 campaign now at WSUCougars.com.