Syracuse freshman Kamilla Cardoso is one of 10 finalists for the Lisa Leslie Award, announced Friday by The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Named after the three-time All-American and1994 National Player of the Year, the annual award in its fourth year recognizes the top centers in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the consistent play, positive attitude, and commitment to excellence of Class of 2015 Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie.
Cardoso is the only freshman on the list. She leads Syracuse this season in scoring (14.8 ppg), blocked shots (3.4 bpg) and is second in rebounding with 8.8 boards per game. Cardoso has four double doubles this season and has twice been named ACC Freshman of the Week. She tallied a season-best nine blocks against Notre Dame on Jan. 31 and has had four games with six or more blocks.
In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Lisa Leslie Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2021 Lisa Leslie Center Award will be presented April 9, 2021, along with the four other members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Cheryl Miller Small Forward Award and the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, in addition to the Men’s Starting Five. College basketball fans can support their favorite players by participating in Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies.
Previous winners of the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award include Aliyah Boston, South Carolina (2020), Megan Gustafson, Iowa (2019) and A’ja Wilson, South Carolina (2018). For more information on the 2021 Lisa Leslie Award and the latest updates, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #LeslieAward on Twitter and Instagram. Starting Five Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies will go live today, February 5 at 1 p.m. EST on HoophallAwards.com.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].