UVA junior forward Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) has been named to the watch list for the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its second year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
Willoughby is one of twenty players named to the preseason watch list. Willoughby is a two-time member of the All-ACC Academic Team and has started every game for the Cavaliers in her first two seasons of play, averaging 29.5 minutes per game. She led the team in rebounding her freshman season and was second last year with 5.4 rebounds per game. She has a 9.7 points per game career scoring average.
The Selection Committee for the Cheryl Miller Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalist at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2019 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be revealed on an ESPN platform during the 2019 Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida. Additional awards being presented and recognized at the WBCA Convention include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award. Also being awarded is the Wade Trophy, the sport’s oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award which is presented annually by the WBCA’s community of coaches to the best player in college women’s basketball.
Last season, Gabby Williams of Connecticut was named the inaugural winner of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award.
2019 Cheryl Miller Award Candidates
- Mart’e Grays DePaul
- Leaonna Odom Duke
- Francesca Pan Georgia Tech
- Bridget Carleton Iowa St
- Erika Davenport Marquette
- Kaila Charles Maryland
- Sophie Cunningham Missouri
- Lexi Klabo North Dakota
- Courtney Woods Northern Illinois
- Jackie Young Notre Dame
- Satou Sabally Oregon
- Katie McWilliams Oregon St.
- Miranda Drummond Syracuse
- Rennia Davis Tennessee
- Tia Wooten Tennessee St.
- Joyner Holmes Texas
- Jocelyn Willoughby Virginia
- Elisa Penna Wake Forest
- Borislava Hristova Washington St.
- Naomi Davenport West Virginia
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