# Wade Trophy

The Wade Trophy is an award presented annually to the best upperclass women's basketball player in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. It is named after three–time national champion Delta State University coach Lily Margaret Wade. The award debuted in 1978 as the first–ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball. State Farm Insurance sponsors the award, and the trophy is presented at the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) National Convention.
UConn has the most all-time winners with nine. Maya Moore is the only player to win the Wade Trophy three times, accomplishing the feat in 2009 (only sophomore ever to win the award), 2010 and 2011. Other multiple award winners include Nancy Lieberman (1979, 1980), Seimone Augustus (2005, 2006), Brittney Griner (2012, 2013), Breanna Stewart (2015, 2016), Sabrina Ionescu (2019, 2020), and Caitlin Clark (2023, 2024).
Baylor is in sole possession of second in total awards, and is in a second-place tie with two other schools for the most individual recipients. Three Baylor players have combined to win four awards. The other two programs with three individual recipients are Louisiana Tech and Texas, with all of each school's winners having received the award once. There have never been any ties for the award.

## Eligibility and criteria

All academically eligible women's basketball athletes, except freshmen, in NCAA Division I qualify as candidates.
* Member of the NCAA Division I Kodak/WBCA All-America Team
* Game and season statistics
* Effect on team
* Leadership
* Character
* Overall playing ability
* Player that embodies the "Spirit of Margaret Wade" as defined by the WBCA and the NAGWS

## Winners

| Player (n) | Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Wade Trophy at that point |
| Season | Player | School | Position | Class |
| 1977–78 | Carol Blazejowski | Montclair State | Forward | Senior |
| 1978–79 | Nancy Lieberman | Old Dominion | Guard | Junior |
| 1979–80 | Nancy Lieberman (2) | Old Dominion | Guard | Senior |
| 1980–81 | Lynette Woodard | Kansas | Guard | Senior |
| 1981–82 | Pam Kelly | Louisiana Tech | Center | Senior |
| 1982–83 | LaTaunya Pollard | Long Beach State | Guard | Senior |
| 1983–84 | Janice Lawrence Braxton | Louisiana Tech | Forward | Senior |
| 1984–85 | Cheryl Miller | USC | Forward | Junior |
| 1985–86 | Kamie Ethridge | Texas | Guard | Senior |
| 1986–87 | Shelly Pennefather | Villanova | Forward | Senior |
| 1987–88 | Teresa Weatherspoon | Louisiana Tech | Guard | Senior |
| 1988–89 | Clarissa Davis | Texas | Forward | Senior |
| 1989–90 | Jennifer Azzi | Stanford | Guard | Senior |
| 1990–91 | Daedra Charles | Tennessee | Center | Senior |
| 1991–92 | Susan Robinson | Penn State | Forward | Senior |
| 1992–93 | Karen Jennings | Nebraska | Forward | Senior |
| 1993–94 | Carol Ann Shudlick | Minnesota | Forward | Senior |
| 1994–95 | Rebecca Lobo | UConn | Center | Senior |
| 1995–96 | Jennifer Rizzotti | UConn | Guard | Senior |
| 1996–97 | DeLisha Milton | Florida | Forward | Senior |
| 1997–98 | Ticha Penicheiro | Old Dominion | Guard | Senior |
| 1998–99 | Stephanie White | Purdue | Guard | Senior |
| 1999–00 | Edwina Brown | Texas | Guard | Senior |
| 2000–01 | Jackie Stiles | Southwest Missouri State | Guard | Senior |
| 2001–02 | Sue Bird | UConn | Guard | Senior |
| 2002–03 | Diana Taurasi | UConn | Forward | Junior |
| 2003–04 | Alana Beard | Duke | Guard | Senior |
| 2004–05 | Seimone Augustus | LSU | Guard | Junior |
| 2005–06 | Seimone Augustus (2) | LSU | Guard | Senior |
| 2006–07 | Candace Parker | Tennessee | Center | Junior |
| 2007–08 | Candice Wiggins | Stanford | Guard | Senior |
| 2008–09 | Maya Moore | UConn | Forward | Sophomore |
| 2009–10 | Maya Moore (2) | UConn | Forward | Junior |
| 2010–11 | Maya Moore (3) | UConn | Forward | Senior |
| 2011–12 | Brittney Griner | Baylor | Center | Junior |
| 2012–13 | Brittney Griner (2) | Baylor | Center | Senior |
| 2013–14 | Odyssey Sims | Baylor | Guard | Senior |
| 2014–15 | Breanna Stewart | UConn | Forward | Junior |
| 2015–16 | Breanna Stewart (2) | UConn | Forward | Senior |
| 2016–17 | Kelsey Plum | Washington | Guard | Senior |
| 2017–18 | A'ja Wilson | South Carolina | Forward | Senior |
| 2018–19 | Sabrina Ionescu | Oregon | Guard | Junior |
| 2019–20 | Sabrina Ionescu (2) | Oregon | Guard | Senior |
| 2020–21 | NaLyssa Smith | Baylor | Forward | Junior |
| 2021–22 | Aliyah Boston | South Carolina | Forward | Junior |
| 2022–23 | Caitlin Clark | Iowa | Guard | Junior |
| 2023–24 | Caitlin Clark (2) | Iowa | Guard | Senior |
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Official athletic brand name was "Connecticut" before 2013–14.
* ↑ Known since 2005 as Missouri State.