Center Shakira Austin Placed on the Naismith Award Watch List

Third National Honor of the Day for Austin

ATLANTA –  (Release) The honors continue to roll in for Shakira Austin, as the center was most recently named to the 2022 Jersey Mike’s Women’s Naismith Award Watch List after previously earning spots on the Wade Award and Wooden Award Watch lists earlier in the day.
 
The Naismith College Player of the Year Trophy is presented annually to the most outstanding women’s basketball player who achieves tremendous on-court success.
 
This marks yet another recognition for Austin, as she enters her senior season first in active career rebounds and fifth in points in the SEC. Austin has already garnered accolades ranging from a spot on the Lisa Leslie Award preseason watch list, as well as earning both SEC Media Preseason All-SEC honors and SEC Coaches Preseason First-Team All-SEC honors.
 
The Women’s Naismith Trophy winner will be chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, comprised of leading media members from around the country, current and former head coaches, and former award winners and conference commissioners. The selections will look at outstanding on-court performances during the 2021-22 college basketball season.
 
The watch list will be narrowed down throughout the season with the award to be presented on April 2, 2022. 
 
More information regarding the award and past winners can be found at NaismithTrophy.com.

Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.