March 23, 2012

STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford's sibling duet of Nnemkadi and Chiney Ogwumike were named among the 12 finalists for the State Farm Wade Trophy, the WBCA announced Friday.

The Ogwumikes make Stanford one of just two schools with multiple finalists. Baylor is also represented twice on the list.

The Ogwumike's are joined on the 12-player list by Baylor's Brittney Griner and Odyssey Sims as well as Elena Della Donne (Delaware), Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame), Shenise Johnson (Miami), Anna Martin (DePaul), A'dia Mathies (Kentucky), Samantha Prahalis (Ohio State), Alyssa Thomas (Maryland) and Julie Wojta (Wisconsin-Green Bay).

Two Stanford players have captured the honor in the trophy's history: Jennifer Azzi (1990) and Candice Wiggins (2008).

Together, the Ogwumikes have helped lead Stanford to a 33-1 record and No. 2 national ranking, and into the Fresno Regional Semifinal, where the top-seeded Cardinal will take on No. 5-seed South Carolina Saturday, March 24 at 8:30 p.m. PT at Fresno State's Save Mart Center.

Stanford is aiming for its third national title and a fifth straight Final Four appearance. The 2012 Final Four will take place April 1 and 3 at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

The sisters claimed two of the top Pac-12 honors at the conclusion of the regular season, with Nnemkadi Ogwumike being named Pac-12 Player of the Year for the second time in her career and Chiney Ogwumike claiming the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year award. Nnemkadi was also named the Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player in March after averaging 23.7 points and 10.3 rebounds a game and shooting 56.3 percent from the field.

Stanford won its 12th straight regular season crown and sixth straight Pac-12 Tournament title this season, and went 18-0 in conference play for the third straight season.

Nnemkadi Ogwumike has put together a national player of the year and All-America-worthy season in 2011-12, and has now been named a finalist for three major national player of the year awards (Wade Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy).

She is also the only player in the nation to rank in the NCAA's top 17 in scoring (21.8 ppg, 10th) , rebounding (10.3 rpg, T-17th) and shooting percentage (54.5, ninth).

Nnemkadi has posted team-highs of 18 double-doubles, 32 double-figure scoring games, 19 20-point games and five 30-point games this season. She has also posted the only 40-point game of the season for Stanford, a nationally-televised 42-point, 17-rebound effort in the Cardinal's 97-80 win over then-No. 6/6 Tennessee on Dec. 20.

She earned the second of her three Pac-12 Player of the Week honors in 2011-12 for that performance, in addition to being named the USBWA's National Player of the Week (Dec. 27).

Heading into Saturday's game, she is in the top five of numerous career statistical categories at Stanford, among them: points scored (2,401 points, second), scoring average (16.9 ppg, fifth), rebounds (1,198, third), rebounding average (8.4, fourth), field-goal percentage (58.3, second), free throws made (533, second) and free throws attempted (693, first).

Younger sister Chiney Ogwumike has emerged as one of the nation's top interior and defensive players, averaging 15.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game, and shooting 58.7 percent from the field, a figure that ranks fourth in the nation. Chiney has excelled on the defensive end of the floor as well, racking up 40 blocks and 23 steals from the inside, leading to the Pac-12's top defensive honor and a second straight selection to both the All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defensive Teams.

Chiney ranks second on the team to Nnemkadi with 17 double-doubles and 30 double-figure scoring games, but leads the Cardinal with 19 double-figure rebounding performances in 2011-12.

She was also named Pac-12 Player of the Week three times this year (Jan. 16, Jan. 23, Jan. 30) and was named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.0 points and 12.3 rebounds a game with a 53.1 field-goal percentage.

The Wade Trophy candidates were selected by a vote of committee members composed of leading basketball coaches, journalists and administrators. The committee will select the winner of The State Farm Wade Trophy from the 10-member NCAA Division I State Farm Coaches' All-America Team. The winner will be announced on during the WBCA Awards Show, which will be held at 5 p.m. MT Monday, April 2, in Denver. The event is part of the WBCA National Convention and is held in conjunction with the NCAA® Women's Final Four.