Fowles one of 12 Wade finalists

• LSU news release
• Published: Mar 26, 2008 - UPDATED: 4:35 p.m.

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Sylvia Fowles, a senior center for the LSU women’s basketball team, today was named one of 12 finalists in contention for The State Farm Wade Trophy.

The announcement was made by the State Farm Wade Trophy Committee, along with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).

The candidates were selected by a vote of committee members comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators. Members of the committee will select the winner of The State Farm Wade Trophy from the 10-member Division I State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team and will be announced at the State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team Press Conference and The State Farm Wade Trophy Announcement during the WBCA National Convention on Saturday, April 5, 2008, at 8:45 a.m. CDT.

Fowles, the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, has averaged 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this season and leads LSU into the NCAA Tournament New Orleans Regional.

Fowles, a Miami native, is joined on the list by Matee Ajavon and Essence Carson from Rutgers, Connecitcut’s Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery, Maryland’s Crystal Langhorne and Kristi Toliver, North Carolina’s Erlana Larkins; Louisville’s Angel McCoughtry, Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris, Tennessee’s Candace Parker and Stanford’s Candice Wiggins.

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 31st year is named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade.  This most prestigious award, regarded as “The Heisman of Women’s Basketball”, debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball.

Last year’s State Farm Wade Trophy winner was Tennessee’s Candace Parker. The first recipient of the Wade Trophy was Carol Blazejowski of Montclair State in 1978. Other Wade Trophy/NCAA Division I Player of the Year recipients include many WNBA standouts such as Teresa Weatherspoon (1988), DeLisha Milton-Jones (1997), Ticha Penicheiro (1998), Sue Bird (2002) and Diana Taurasi (2003). LSU’s Seimone Augustus (2005 and 2006) and Nancy Lieberman (1979 and 1980) are the award’s only two-time recipients.

The Wade Trophy Coalition was established in June of 2000 when the WBCA partnered with The National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS). For the past five years the two have worked together to present The State Farm Wade Trophy Player of the Year Award. A committee comprised of coaches, administration and media from across the United States selects the winner.