Copper Named to Naismith Watch List
Dec 10 | Women's Basketball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Senior forward Kahleah Copper (Philadelphia, Pa.) has been named to Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Early Season Watch List it was announced on Wednesday.
This is the second watch list Copper has been added to this week also having been tabbed to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Watch List.
Last season, Copper was a Second Team All-Big Ten honoree by both the coaches and media having led the Scarlet Knights in scoring for the second consecutive season averaging 16.3 points per game. She ranked seventh in the Big Ten in scoring, posting 11 20-plus point scoring performances and reaching double-figure scoring in all but four contests a year ago. Over the final five games of the regular season, Copper poured in an average of 20.8 points per contest.
This season, Copper is currently averaging a team-leading 17.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game along with shooting 51.9 percent (68-of-131) from the field. She is a Preseason All-Big Ten honoree and was named the Paradise Jam's "Most Valuable Player" after guiding the Scarlet Knights to the Island Division Championship in St. Thomas over Thanksgiving weekend.
Copper was a Big Ten Player of the Week following a career-high 30 points and 10 rebounds performance in the 2015-16 season opener at St. Joseph's and earned a spot on the Big Ten Honor Roll after averaging 23.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and shooting 62.8 percent from the floor during RU's Paradise Jam Tournament run.
Copper's two watch list designations already adds to a long list of honors and awards achieved during her career. In addition to her preseason conference selections and MVP honor from the Paradise Jam this season, Copper was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team in her rookie campaign, while as a sophomore she was named the WNIT's Most Valuable Player and selected First Team All-American Athletic Conference.
Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Early Season Watch List
Lindsay Allen - Notre Dame
Jillian Alleyne - Oregon
Ameryst Alston - Ohio State
Rachel Banham - Minnesota
Imani Boyette - Texas
Adut Bulgak - Florida State
Jordin Canada - UCLA
Alaina Coates - South Carolina
Nia Coffey - Northwestern
Kahleah Copper - Rutgers
Nina Davis - Baylor
Amber Deane - Dayton
Kim Demmings - Wright State
Diamond DeShields - Tennessee
Makayla Epps - Kentucky
Bashaara Graves - Tennessee
Rebecca Greenwell - Duke
Ruth Hamblin- Oregon State
Aliyyah Handford - St John's
Bria Holmes - West Virginia
Moriah Jefferson - Connecticut
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
Adrienne Motley - Miami
Kelsey Plum - Washington
Aerial Powers - Michigan State
Courtney Range - California
Shereesha Richards - Albany
Tabatha Richardson-Smith - Seton Hall
Leticia Romero - Florida State
Jessica Shepard - Nebraska
Azura' Stevens - Duke
Breanna Stewart - Connecticut
Rachel Theriot - Nebraska
Lili Thompson - Stanford
Morgan Tuck - Connecticut
Brianna Turner - Notre Dame
Victoria Vivians - Mississippi State
Courtney Walker - Texas A&M
Shatori Walker -- KimbroughMaryland
Jamie Weisner - Oregon State
Sydney Wiese - Oregon State
Courtney Williams - South Florida
Courtney Williams - Texas A&M
A'Ja Wilson - South Carolina
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