Asia Durr from the University of Louisville, Megan Gustafson of the University of Iowa, Sabrina Ionescu from the University of Oregon and Mississippi State University’s Teaira McCowan are the four finalists for the Class of 2019 Honda Sport Award for Women’s Basketball as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA).

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 43 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”.  The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2019 Honda Cup which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 24, 2019, in downtown Los, Angeles.

The nominees were chosen by a panel of coaches representing the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The Honda Sport award winner for field hockey will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.

Durr, a senior guard from Douglasville, Ga., is a two-time WBCA, AP, USA Today and ESPNW first-team All-American and was most recently named the 2019 WBCA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner. The two-time ACC Player of the Year averaged 21.2 points per game which is the fourth highest scoring average in Louisville history. She concludes her career ranked second in program history with 2,485 points and 374 made 3-pointers and ranks first all-time in the ACC in made 3-pointers and fifth in points.

Gustafson was named the 2019 USBWA, Associated Press and ESPNW Player of the Year and was a first-team All-American from the major outlets as well. The senior forward/center hailing from Port Wing, Wis., was named the Big Ten Player of the Year for the second straight season and recently earned the 2018-19 Senior CLASS Award. She ended her career with 2,804 points and 1,460 rebounds and is just the fourth NCAA women's basketball student-athlete and the first-ever post player to score 1,000 or more points in a single season.

Ionescu, a junior guard from Walnut Creek, Calif., is a two-time recipient of the Nancy Lieberman Award which is given to the nation’s top point guard. She is also the 2019 Wade Trophy Award winner and a two-time All-American across all major outlets. The two-time Pac-12 Player of the year led the conference in scoring and assists and holds the NCAA career record for triple-doubles (men's or women's) with 18 in her first three seasons. She is a two-time Honda Sport Award finalist for women’s basketball.

McCowan, hailing from Brenham, TX, is a WBCA and USBWA first-team All-American. The center is a two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year and was the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year last season. She is the all-time leading rebounder in NCAA Tournament history (240) after surpassing LSU's Sylvia Fowles (2005-08). She recorded 30 double-doubles on the season, breaking her own MSU single-season record of 29 set last year and averaged 18.4 ppg, 13.5 rpg this season while shooting 66.2 percent from the field.

Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations throughout the year and all Honda Sport Award winners become a finalist for the prestigious 2019 Honda Cup award presented in June.

The CWSA, celebrating its 43rd year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.3 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs. 

About Honda

Honda seeks to be a company that society wants to exist, creating products and technologies that improve the lives of people while minimizing the environmental impacts of its products and business operations to ensure a sustainable future.

Honda also is committed to making positive contributions to the communities where it does business, conducting socially responsible business practices and promoting diversity in its workforce. From Honda’s involvement in STEM education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to its support of pediatric brain tumor research and volunteer efforts by Honda associates, including environmental clean-up activities, Honda believes in giving back to the communities where its associates live and work.

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/