Pili Named to Katrina McClain Preseason Watchlist
SALT LAKE CITY — The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced today the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2024 Katrina McClain Award. Utah's Alissa Pili was named to the preseason watchlist.
Named after the two-time All-American and 1987 National Player of the Year, the annual award, in its seventh year, recognizes the top power forwards in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
Pili was a WBCA All-American AP and USBWA Second Team All-American during 2022-23. She was Pac-12 Player of the Year. She also earned Pac-12 All-Conference honors as well as a Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference selection for this upcoming season.
She ended the 2022-23 season 16th in the nation in scoring averaging 20.7 points per game. She was also 14th in the nation in field goal percentage shooting 59 percent on the year. Pili averaged 5.6 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game. She also shot 42 percent from the three and 79 percent from the free throw line.
Pili was a Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Finalist in 2023.
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Friday, October 20. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Katrina McClain Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where a winner will be selected.
The winner of the 2024 Katrina McClain Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men's Starting Five.
UP NEXT
Utah will have one more exhibition game with Northwest Nazarene on October 30 for Halloween in the Huntsman. Utah will officially start the 2023-24 season with a home game against Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 6. Utah's first road game of the season will be Nov. 14 at Baylor. Pac-12 action is set to start Dec. 30 at Colorado.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2023-24 season are still available. General admission tickets are $50. Call the Utah ticket office at 801-581-UTIX or visit www.UtahTickets.com.
FOLLOW THE UTES!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @UtahWBB | Instagram: @UtahWBB | Facebook: Facebook.com/UtahWBB).