Wooden Award to Women

Starting next year, there will be two John Wooden awards presented after the college basketball season.

Representatives of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, who have presented a men’s award since 1976, are scheduled to announce today a similar award for women.

Named after famed UCLA Coach John Wooden, the women’s award will have the same criteria as the men, including their level of play, progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 grade-point average.

A preseason list of 30 players, based on the previous individual performances and team records, will be announced in August. The list will include only returning players; transfers and freshmen will not be eligible, although they will be evaluated and considered for the midseason top-20 list.

In March, the awards committee will send ballots listing 15 finalists to more than 250 voters comprised of sports media members and women’s college basketball experts.

Previous winners include Marques Johnson and Ed O’Bannon of UCLA, Larry Bird of Indiana State, Michael Jordan of North Carolina, Tim Duncan of Wake Forest and last year’s winner, Jason Williams of Duke.

-- Mike Terry