TEMPE, Ariz. – The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) today announced that Arizona State University women's basketball player Courtney Ekmark is the recipient of the 2019 Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award.
The $1,000 Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award, named for and presented by Stoner, a former legal consultant to the WBCA, is given annually to one female collegiate basketball player who intends to pursue a career in law.
"I am pleased to present Courtney Ekmark with the Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award," said Danielle Donehew, executive director of the WBCA. "Courtney has proven to be an astute student, and a great competitor on the basketball court. Throughout her time at Arizona State University, she has learned invaluable lessons that will allow her to succeed in her future endeavors. The WBCA supports her intention of pursuing a law degree and her future work to serve the greater society."
Currently a second-year law student in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Ekmark, who earlier this month was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention, has started all 65 games of her Sun Devil career. A Valley native, Ekmark transferred to ASU in June 2016 after playing two seasons at UConn where she was part of two national championship teams. The redshirt senior guard currently leads ASU in 3-pointers (60 - 11th in Pac-12), is second in scoring (10.2 ppg), third in steals (0.7 spg) and fourth in assists (1.7 apg) and rebounds (3.0 rpg). Ekmark, who is currently seventh on ASU's all-time list with 118 career triples, has buried three or more 3-pointers 10 times this season. She was ASU's leading scorer (13.0 ppg) during its season-best seven-game winning streak to end non-conference play. Against Colorado State (Dec. 9), Ekmark came within one 3-pointer of tying the school record she already shares, hitting six triples (6-10) and scoring a season-high 21 points. In ASU's come-from-behind win at Utah (Jan. 4), Ekmark led ASU with 15 points to go with five rebounds and four steals (one short of tying career high). She started the month of February scoring team-high 20 points to go with a season-high seven rebounds in ASU's win over Arizona (Feb. 1). She scored 15 points and hit the game-winning free throws with .9 seconds left in ASU's 60-58 win over Utah in which ASU overcame 18-point deficit. On Mar. 7, Ekmark tied her season high with six 3-pointers to help lead the Sun Devils to a 66-49 win over Colorado in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit www.WBCA.org for more details about the Association.
The Sun Devils will find out their NCAA Tournament destination later this afternoon when the brackets are announced on ESPN at 4 p.m. PT. The program will be setting a new school record with its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Sun Devils also set a school record this year for consecutive 20-win seasons (six).
The $1,000 Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award, named for and presented by Stoner, a former legal consultant to the WBCA, is given annually to one female collegiate basketball player who intends to pursue a career in law.
"I am pleased to present Courtney Ekmark with the Charles T. Stoner Law Scholarship Award," said Danielle Donehew, executive director of the WBCA. "Courtney has proven to be an astute student, and a great competitor on the basketball court. Throughout her time at Arizona State University, she has learned invaluable lessons that will allow her to succeed in her future endeavors. The WBCA supports her intention of pursuing a law degree and her future work to serve the greater society."
Currently a second-year law student in ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Ekmark, who earlier this month was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention, has started all 65 games of her Sun Devil career. A Valley native, Ekmark transferred to ASU in June 2016 after playing two seasons at UConn where she was part of two national championship teams. The redshirt senior guard currently leads ASU in 3-pointers (60 - 11th in Pac-12), is second in scoring (10.2 ppg), third in steals (0.7 spg) and fourth in assists (1.7 apg) and rebounds (3.0 rpg). Ekmark, who is currently seventh on ASU's all-time list with 118 career triples, has buried three or more 3-pointers 10 times this season. She was ASU's leading scorer (13.0 ppg) during its season-best seven-game winning streak to end non-conference play. Against Colorado State (Dec. 9), Ekmark came within one 3-pointer of tying the school record she already shares, hitting six triples (6-10) and scoring a season-high 21 points. In ASU's come-from-behind win at Utah (Jan. 4), Ekmark led ASU with 15 points to go with five rebounds and four steals (one short of tying career high). She started the month of February scoring team-high 20 points to go with a season-high seven rebounds in ASU's win over Arizona (Feb. 1). She scored 15 points and hit the game-winning free throws with .9 seconds left in ASU's 60-58 win over Utah in which ASU overcame 18-point deficit. On Mar. 7, Ekmark tied her season high with six 3-pointers to help lead the Sun Devils to a 66-49 win over Colorado in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament.
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit www.WBCA.org for more details about the Association.
The Sun Devils will find out their NCAA Tournament destination later this afternoon when the brackets are announced on ESPN at 4 p.m. PT. The program will be setting a new school record with its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance. The Sun Devils also set a school record this year for consecutive 20-win seasons (six).