ATLANTA — Seimone Augustus and Temeka Johnson, members of the LSU Lady Tigers basketball team, were both named preseason candidates for the State Farm Wade Trophy/Division I Player of the Year Award, it was announced by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association on Thursday.
Augustus, a sophomore from Baton Rouge, and Johnson, a senior from New Orleans, helped the Lady Tigers to a 30-4 record last season, including a Southeastern Conference Tournament title and a trip to the NCAA Elite Eight.
Augustus, a 6-1 guard, led the team with 14.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, while Johnson, a 5-3 point guard, averaged 10.0 points and 5.9 assists per contest.
Both competed for the United States in this past summer’s FIBA World Championship for Young Women, bringing home the Gold Medal for Team USA. Augustus was named the MVP of the Medal Round.
The two are among 35 players from around the nation named as preseason candidates for the award, named after legendary three-time national champion coach Lily Margaret Wade. The award, regarded as “The Heisman of Women’s Basketball,” is entering its 27th year and is organized by the WBCA.
The 35 candidates were selected by a vote of committee members comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball administrators.
LSU is one of five schools to have two players named as candidates and one of five Southeastern Conference schools to have a candidate.
Wade Trophy Award Winners
1978 – Carol Blazejowski, Montclair State
1979 – Nancy Lieberman, Old Dominion
1980 – Nancy Lieberman, Old Dominion
1981 – Lynette Woodard, Kansas
1982 – Pam Kelly, Louisiana Tech
1983 – LaTaunya Pollard, Long Beach State
1984 – Janice Lawrence, Louisiana Tech
1985 – Cheryl Miller, USC
1986 – Kamie Ethridge, Texas
1987 – Shelly Pennefeather, Villanova
1988 – Teresa Weatherspoon, Louisiana Tech
1989 – Clarissa Davis, Texas
1990 – Jennifer Azzi, Stanford
1991 – Daedra Charles, Tennessee
1992 – Susan Robinson, Penn State
1993 – Karen Jennings, Nebraska
1994 – Carol Ann Shudlick, Minnesota
1995 – Rebecca Lobo, Connecticut
1996 – Jennifer Rizzotti, Connecticut
1997 – DeLisha Milton, Florida
1998 – Ticha Penicheiro, Old Dominion
1999 – Stephanie White-McCarthy, Purdue
2000 – Edwina Brown, Texas
2001 – Jackie Stiles, Southwest Missouri State
2002 – Sue Bird, Connecticut
2003 – Diana Taurasi, Connecticut