SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Tuesday, Jan. 31, that Washington State women's basketball player Charlisse Leger-Walker has been named a midseason top-10 finalist for the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.
It is the second time that Leger-Walker has been named a midseason finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, an honor that goes to the nation's top shooting guard, as she was also a top-10 finalist last season. The Waikato, New Zealand native has once again established herself as one of the best players in NCAA Division I this season, as Leger-Walker is averaging 19.2 points and 4.9 assists per game. Leger-Walker is one of two Power 5 Conference players to rank inside the top two in their conference in both points and assists, joining Iowa star, Caitlin Clark.
Fans can support their favorite players in the remaining rounds by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, February 3 on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process. Keishana Washington (Drexel), Diamond Miller (Maryland), Antwainette Walker (Eastern Kentucky), Taylor Mikesell (Ohio State), Ta'Niya Latson (Florida State), Zia Cooke (South Carolina), Gabby Gregory (Kansas State), Charisma Osborne (UCLA), and Hailey Van Lith (Louisville) join Leger-Walker as midseason finalists for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is composed of top women's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The guard has gotten Washington State off to its best start to a season in the NCAA era in program history, as the Cougars are 15-6 this season tying the 1995-96 team's start. Despite missing four games this season due to a personal family matter that required her to go back to New Zealand, Leger-Walker still ranks 27th in NCAA Division l in points per game, while she is 47th nationally in assists per game. The guard is shooting a career-best 42.6 percent from the floor this season and is connecting on a personal-best 38.9 percent on 3-point shots.
The Cougars are 15-2 this season when Leger-Walker is in the lineup, while she has helped WSU collect two road wins over top-25 teams over the last three weeks. She is also one of four NCAA Division I players, and the only Power 5 Conference player, to have recorded both a 35-point and a 40-point scoring performance this season.
Earlier this season, Leger-Walker became just the second Washington State women's basketball player to score 40 points in a game in the NCAA era, when she posted an even 40 points at Washington on Dec. 11. The guard is one of 13 NCAA Division I players this season to score 40 points in a game. Ledger-Walker's 40-point outing in Seattle was just one-point shy of Jenni Ruff's school record for most points scored in a game. Leger-Walker has scored double-digit points in all but one game this season, while she recently had a 17-game double-digit scoring streak come to an end, which was tied with Lia Galdeira for the ninth-longest double-digit scoring streak in school history. Leger-Walker has tallied 20 or more points in eight games this season, which includes a 35-point outing at San Francisco.
Leger-Walker scored her 1,000th career point at Washington State in the third game this season against Prairie View A&M in Beasley Coliseum on Nov. 13. She reached the 1,000-point milestone in just 57 games, tying her with Pac-12 Conference Hall of Famer Jeanne Eggart for the school record for quickest to 1,000 career points. The guard has moved up Washington State's career scoring and 3-point field goals made lists this season. Leger-Walker is now fifth in program history with 153 made 3-pointers, while her 1,262 career points are the 12th-most in school history.
The winner of the 2023 Meyers Drysdale Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the four other members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), the Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men's Starting Five.
Washington State returns to Beasley Coliseum this Friday, Feb. 3, when they host No. 2-ranked Stanford. Tip-off against the Cardinal is set for 7 p.m. PT. Fans can purchase tickets by clicking the link here.
For more information on the Washington State women's basketball team, follow @WSUCougarWBB on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
