Stanford's Ogwumike named Pac-12 women's basketball scholar-athlete of the year
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - STANFORD’s Chiney Ogwumike has been named the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today. The award was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are exemplary both academically and in their sports discipline.
Ogwumike was named Pac-12 Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season after enjoying a record-breaking senior campaign as Stanford finished 28-2 overall and 17-1 in Conference play en route to winning its 14th-straight Pac-12 regular-season title. The national Player of the Year candidate is the only player to rank in the national top 10 in scoring (27.0 ppg – third), rebounding (12.1 rpg – eighth), field-goal percentage (62.6 – second), and double-doubles (22 – t-sixth) during the regular season. She has also scored at least 30 points on 13 occasions this season. Ogwumike heads into postseason play just 49 points away from tying the Pac-12 scoring record having scored 2,580 points, while she already owns the league’s all-time rebounding mark at 1,483 and is one away from tying for 10th on the NCAA’s all-time list. The senior has been named Pac-12 Player of the Week a record nine times this season, and 18 times in her career—the most in Pac-12 history. A great amount of her success came against some of the best teams in the nation. In nine games against Top-25 teams, Ogwumike has helped lead the Cardinal to an 8-1 mark by averaging 25.0 points and 12.6 rebounds while shooting 59.4 percent from the field.
Ogwumike’s dedication to academics and volunteerism have also made headlines. The Cypress, Texas native carries a 3.46 cumulative grade-point average and will complete her degree in international relations this March. Following the 2012-13 basketball season, Ogwumike fulfilled a requirement of her major by studying abroad in Nigeria for the spring 2013 quarter. From April to June, she interned with the Nigerian Ministry of Petroleum, in addition to working with the charity “Access 2 Success” to help build a new basketball court for local youth as well as serving as a counselor at various basketball camps in Nigeria.
In order to be eligible for the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility) on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution. Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport’s regular season. The athletic accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in the voting for the award.
A Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be named in each of the Pac-12’s 22 sponsored sports: baseball, men’s basketball,
women’s basketball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, women’s gymnas- tics, men’s rowing, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, softball, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s track & field, women’s track & field, women’s volleyball, and wrestling.
The Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year Awards were established during the 2007-08 academic year.
Also nominated: Deja Mann, ASU; Mykala Lyles, CAL; Danielle Love; ORE; Alyssa Martin, OSU; Atonye Nyingifa, UCLA; Cassie Harberts, USC; Michelle Plouffe, UTAH; Mercedes Wetmore, WASH.
