Four Finalists Named for Naismith Award

ATLANTA, GA (March 21, 2009) -- The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced the four finalists for the 2009 Naismith Trophy. Connecticut's Renee Montgomery and Maya Moore join Angel McCoughtry (Louisville) and Courtney Paris (Oklahoma) to vie for the most prestigious national award in women’s college basketball.

The finalists were voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. The board based its criteria on player performances this season.

The Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year winner will be announced during the WBCA awards luncheon April 6 in St. Louis.

Beginning March 22, AT&T wireless customers – and sports fans on other wireless networks – will be able to text their votes for the player of their choice. Through the power and ease of text messaging, fan voting will account for an unprecedented 25 percent of the final results — more than any other national college basketball award.

Voting for the Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year award will end on Saturday, April 4, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. CDT.

AT&T is making the voting open to other wireless carriers allowing even more fans to participate. Other wireless carriers must opt-in for their subscribers to participate.