Latson Named Finalist for 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State Women’s Basketball freshman guard Ta’Niya Latson has been selected as one of five finalists for the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, which is given to the nation’s best shooting guard. The five-member list was announced Tuesday afternoon by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.

Named after the first player, male or female, named to an All-America Team in four straight college seasons, the annual award in its sixth year recognizes the top shooting guard in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. To be considered for this prestigious award, candidates must exhibit the tenacity and scoring prowess of Class of 1993 Hall of Famer Ann Meyers.

Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, March 3, on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.

In March, the finalists will be presented to Meyers Drysdale and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Ann Meyers Drysdale 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 2023 Meyers Drysdale Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the four other members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), the Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.

Joining Latson on the list are Drexel’s Keishana Washington, Louisville’s Hailey Van Lith, Maryland’s Diamond Miller and South Carolina’s Zia Cooke.

Latson has earned national recognition for one of the most startling freshman seasons in recent memory in women’s basketball. The Miami, Fla., native established an ACC single-season record for points by a freshman, passing Diamond Deshields. She is the first ACC freshman ever to lead the league in scoring during the regular season, averaging 21.3 points per game.

Of the ACC’s 13 performances this season with 30+ points by an individual, Latson owns seven of them. Of the league’s eight 30-point games in conference play, Latson has four of them.

Previous winners of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award are Christyn Williams, UConn (2022), Ashley Owusu, Maryland (2021), Aari McDonald, Arizona (2020), Asia Durr, Louisville (2019) and Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State (2018).

For more information on the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #MeyersAward on Twitter and Instagram.