SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today the 10 candidates for the 2018 Cheryl Miller Award. Tennessee’s Jaime Nared is among the players making the cut.
Nared, who has helped pace UT to a 17-4 record and a No. 12 national ranking, is tied for the team lead in scoring at 16.6 points per game and is averaging 8.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals per contest. The 6-foot-2 senior forward, who is among the nation’s leaders in free throw percentage (.835), free throws made (111) and free throws attempted (133), has posted eight double-doubles and scored 20 or more points on seven occasions.
Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and 1995 inductee of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the annual award in its inaugural year recognizes the top small forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball.
“When it comes to small forwards, no one has done it better than Cheryl Miller, and the young women recognized on this list should be honored to be associated with one of the game’s all-time greats,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Cheryl’s expertise as a dominate player, winning coach and professional analyst will be highly valuable as we evaluate the ten candidates remaining.”
The Selection Committee for the Cheryl Miller Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Miller and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. Fans will also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite finalists to determine the Naismith Starting 5 at www.hoophallawards.com.
The winner of the 2018 Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award will be announced during ESPN2’s telecast of the national semifinal games in the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, March 30. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, as well as the Wade Trophy, the sport’s oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award which is presented annually by the WBCA’s community of coaches to the best player in college women’s basketball.
For more information on the 2018 Cheryl Miller Award, visit www.hoophallawards.com
2018 Cheryl Miller Award Candidates
| Gabby Williams | Connecticut |
| Shakayla Thomas | Florida St. |
| Jill Barta | Gonzaga |
| Bridget Carleton | Iowa St. |
| Kaila Charles | Maryland |
| Sophie Cunningham | Missouri |
| Jaime Nared | Tennessee |
| Ariel Atkins | Texas |
| Teana Muldrow | West Virginia |
| Tashia Brown | Western Kentucky |
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2017-18 season*
About Cheryl Miller: Cheryl Miller took women’s basketball to a new level, literally and figuratively. With her tremendous leaping ability, athletic dexterity and grace, Miller established a legacy throughout her high school and college career that is unparalleled. Playing for Riverside Polytechnic High School (CA), in 1982, Miller set the single game scoring record of 105 points. As a collegiate forward at the University of Southern California from 1982 to 1986, Miller helped bring women’s basketball to the forefront of American sports. In 1984, she led the Olympic team to gold averaging more than 16 points per game. Her superior athletic ability and engaging persona placed her among the elite in the world of college and professional athletics. In 1986, Sports Illustrated named Miller as the best male or female player in college basketball. In a spectacular career, Miller scored 3,018 total career points and was a four-time All-America. Miller was named Naismith Player of the Year three times and earned the Wade Trophy once. Miller was indicted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010. Since retiring from professional play, Miller has had a very successful career as a WNBA GM, professional and collegiate coach, and sportscaster for TNT, ESPN and NBC for the 1996 Olympics.
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