Texas center Imani Boyette named to midseason Naismith Player of the Year Award list

By Steve Lansdale

AUSTIN, Texas — Senior Texas center Imani Boyette has been named to the Midseason Team for the Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year Award, which has recognized the top player in women’s basketball since 1983.

The 6-foot-7 Boyette leads the Longhorns in[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)] scoring (12.6 points per game), rebounding (9.9 per game) and blocked shots per game (3.4). She is the only UT player to have started all 23 games this year and has 12 double-doubles so far this season.

Since the start of UT’s game against Big 12 opponents, Boyette has raised the level of her play, averaging 13.3 points per game, blocking a conference-best 4.3 shots per game and ranking second in the league with an average of 11.2 rebounds per game against conference foes.

A list of 10 semifinalists will be announced March 3, and four finalists will be named March 18. The recipient of the award will be named April 4.

A student in the McCombs School of Business, Boyette also has been named a candidate for the Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in Schoo) Award, which focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

In conference play, Boyette averages 13.3 points per game, leads the Big 12 in blocks at 4.3 blocked shots per game and is second in the league in rebounding at 11.2 boards per game. She also ranks sixth in the Big 12 (conference games only) with a 54.5 percent field-goal clip and an 83.0 percent free-throw percentage. Boyette has eight double-doubles in 12 league games this season.

Boyette is a senior in the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas and also has been named a candidate for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award.

NAISMITH COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD MIDSEASON TEAM
Lindsay Allen, Notre Dame
Jillian Alleyne, Oregon
Ameryst Alston, Ohio State
Kristine Anigwe, Cal
Rachel Banham, Minnesota
Imani Boyette, Texas
Jordin Canada, UCLA
Alaina Coates, South Carolina
Nina Davis, Baylor
Makayla Epps, Kentucky
Aliyyah Handford, St. John’s
Moriah Jefferson, UConn
Chanise Jenkins, DePaul
Niya Johnson, Baylor
Jonquel Jones, George Washington
Brionna Jones, Maryland
Brittney Martin, Oklahoma State
Tiffany Mitchell, South Carolina
Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State
Kelsey Plum, Washington
Aerial Powers, Michigan State
Shereesha Richards, Albany
Tabatha Richardson-Smith, Seton Hall
Jessica Shepard, Nebraska
Azura Stevens, Duke
Breanna Stewart, UConn
Morgan Tuck, UConn
Brianna Turner, Notre Dame
Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State
Courtney Walker, Texas A&M
Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Maryland
Jami Weisner, Oregon State
Courtney Williams, South Florida
A’Ja Wilson, South Carolina

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