WACO, Texas – Baylor senior Kalani Brown earned a spot on the Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women’s College Player of the Year semifinalist list, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday. The senior center has helped guide the Lady Bears to a No. 1 ranking in both the Associated Press and USA Today/WBCA top 25 this season, and this marks the second-straight year that the Slidell, La. native has garnered consideration.
The list of 10 players will be narrowed down to four names March 22, and fans will be able to participate in a vote for their favorite player between March 22-April 3 on naismithtropy.com/vote. The fan vote will count for five percent of the overall vote.
Brown’s 15.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest lead the Baylor team that boasts a 27-1 overall record and a 17-0 mark in Big 12 Conference play. Her .625 field goal percentage ranks first in the Big 12 and top 10 in the nation; she is also second on the NCAA’s active leader board for career field goal percentage at a .643 clip.
On Feb. 20 vs. Kansas at home, Brown became the seventh player to reach 2,000 career points and the seventh to reach 1,000 career rebounds. As a member of the 2,000/1,000 club, Brown was just the sixth Baylor player in history to achieve both milestones, joining Suzie Snider-Eppers, Maggie Davis-Stinnett, Sophia Young, Brittney Griner and Nina Davis.
Since the game with Kansas, Brown has climbed to sixth all-time on the career rebounding list and fifth in scoring at Baylor.
Griner took home the Citizen Naismith Trophy for Women’s College Player of the Year in both 2012 and 2013.
The Player of the Year will be announced April 6. The four finalists will be chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s national voting academy, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, former award winners and conference commissioners, all of whom base their selections on outstanding on-court performances during the 2018-19 college basketball season. The vote will be tabulated and certified by Aprio, formerly Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, the largest full-service, independent CPA-led business advisory firm, based in Atlanta.
Kristine Anigwe, Sr., C/F, California, Pac-12
Kalani Brown, Sr., C, Baylor, Big 12
Napheesa Collier, Sr., F, UConn, AAC
Asia Durr, Sr., G, Louisville, ACC
Megan Gustafson, Sr., F, Iowa, Big Ten
Sabrina Ionescu, Jr., G, Oregon, Pac-12
Teaira McCowan, Sr., C, Mississippi State, SEC
Arike Ogunbowale, Sr., G, Notre Dame, ACC
Katie Lou Samuelson, Sr., G, UConn, AAC
Alanna Smith, Sr., F, Stanford, Pac-12
