PROVO, Utah— BYU junior center Sara Hamson is one of 10 women’s college basketball players selected as a semifinalist for the 2020 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year award, the Atlanta Tipoff Club has announced.
The finalists for the defensive award will be revealed on March 13. The winner of the 2020 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year will be announced on April 4.
Hamson, a 6-foot-7 center from Lindon, Utah, is one of three juniors on the list. She ranks first nationally in total blocked shots with 119 and in blocked shots per game with a 4.58 average. She also leads the West Coast Conference in blocked shots and in field goal percentage at 58.3. She is fifth in the league in rebounding, fourth in defensive rebounds and eighth in offensive rebounds.
Hamson has started in every game for BYU this year averaging seven points and 7.8 rebounds a game. She is a two-time WCC Women’s Basketball Preseason Team honoree and was named the 2017-18 WCC Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year and was on the 2017-18 WCC All-Freshman team.
During her freshman season, she finished ranked first nationally in blocked shots per game and second in blocked shots. Last year, she concluded her sophomore campaign ranked seventh nationally in blocked shots per game and 11th in total blocked shots. She has led the league in blocked shots every year.
2020 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year SemifinalistsAliyah Boston: Fr, FSouth Carolina/SECBrittany Brewer: Sr, FTexas Tech/Big 12Lauren Cox: Sr, FBaylor/Big 12Jordan Danberry: Sr, GMississippi State/SECSara Hamson: Jr, CBYU/WCCAe'Rianna Harris: Sr, GPurdue/Big TenAari McDonald: Jr, GArizona/Pac-12Mikayla Pivec: Sr, GOregon State/Pac-12DiDi Richards: Jr, GBaylor/Big 12Kylee Shook: Sr, FLouisville/ACC