TEMPE, Ariz. – The NCAA today announced that former Arizona State University women’s basketball player Elisha Davis is a nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year award.
The award honors graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in academics, athletics, service and leadership. Nominations for the award come from NCAA member schools.
It is the latest accolade for Davis, who earlier this month (along with former Sun Devil quarterback Mike Bercovici) was named a recipient of the Kajikawa Award, annually presented to one male and one female graduating senior student-athlete in recognition for his/her contributions at Arizona State University.
A four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at point guard, Davis concluded her career No. 2 on ASU’s all-time list for career assists (483) and also finished second on ASU’s all-time list for most career assists in the NCAA Tournament (34). Over the last three years Davis helped lead the Sun Devils to 78 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2015. Davis, who earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors each of the last three seasons, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication in December 2015 and is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Communication. In the community Davis, who was nominated for the Senior CLASS Award earlier this year, did more than 150 hours of community service during her ASU career. Her community endeavors included volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club of Tempe, the annual Komen Race for the Cure in Phoenix and the annual Pat’s Run in Tempe. She also spoke at elementary schools in the area.
This year’s pool of school honorees (517) marks the largest in the 26-year history of the award. Of the nominees for the national award, 231 competed in Division I, 117 competed in Division II and 169 competed in Division III athletics. The nominees also represent 21 different women’s sports, and 127 of the nominees competed in more than one sport in college.
The NCAA encourages member schools to honor their top graduating female student-athletes each year by submitting their names for consideration for the Woman of the Year award.
Next, conferences assess their member school nominees and select up to two conference nominees. The Woman of the Year selection committee, made up of representatives from the NCAA membership, will then choose the top 30 honorees – 10 from each division.
From the top 30, the selection committee determines the top three honorees from each division and announces the nine finalists in September. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics then chooses from among those nine to determine the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year.
The top 30 honorees will be celebrated and the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced at the annual award ceremony Oct. 16 in Indianapolis.