Mackenzie Holmes Named To Wooden Award Midseason Top 25
1/5/2022 6:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LOS ANGELES – Indiana junior forward Mackenzie Holmes has been named to the John R. Wooden Award presented by Wendy's midseason Top 25 watch list announced by the Los Angeles Athletic Club on Wednesday evening.
Holmes is one of four players making her debut on the national award watch list, as she leads the way for No. 6/6 Indiana this season. She's averaging a team-best 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 62.1 percent from the floor. The Gorham, Maine native has three double-doubles this season while scoring in double figures in 12 of 13 games. She is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week and has a season-high 30 points in a win at No. 20/21 Ohio State and became the 30th player in program history to record 1,000 points.
Amongst the Big Ten, Holmes ranks seventh in scoring and rebounding while second in field goal percentage and blocked shots per game. Nationally, Holmes ranks 11th in field goal percentage, 12th in field goals made and 30th in total points scored. Preseason honors have also included All-Big Ten, The Athletic preseason All-American honorable mention and a spot on the Lisa Leslie Award for the nation's top center.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2022 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason or midseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2022 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
Wooden Award Presented by Wendy's 2021-22 Midseason Top 25
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All American Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07; '08), Maya Moore ('09; '11), Chiney Ogwumike ('14), Breanna Stewart ('15 and '16) and last year's recipients, Paige Bueckers of Connecticut and Luka Garza of Iowa.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow Indiana Women's Basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
#GoIU
Holmes is one of four players making her debut on the national award watch list, as she leads the way for No. 6/6 Indiana this season. She's averaging a team-best 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 62.1 percent from the floor. The Gorham, Maine native has three double-doubles this season while scoring in double figures in 12 of 13 games. She is a two-time Big Ten Player of the Week and has a season-high 30 points in a win at No. 20/21 Ohio State and became the 30th player in program history to record 1,000 points.
Amongst the Big Ten, Holmes ranks seventh in scoring and rebounding while second in field goal percentage and blocked shots per game. Nationally, Holmes ranks 11th in field goal percentage, 12th in field goals made and 30th in total points scored. Preseason honors have also included All-Big Ten, The Athletic preseason All-American honorable mention and a spot on the Lisa Leslie Award for the nation's top center.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2022 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason or midseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All American Team™ will be announced the week of the "Elite Eight" round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2022 John R. Wooden Award will be presented by Wendy's following the NCAA Tournament in April.
Wooden Award Presented by Wendy's 2021-22 Midseason Top 25
| Name | School | Conference | Height | Class | Position |
| Shakira Austin | Mississippi | SEC | 6-5 | Sr. | C |
| Kierstan Bell | Florida Gulf Coast | ASUN | 6-1 | Jr. | G |
| Aliyah Boston* | South Carolina | SEC | 6-5 | Jr. | F |
| Cameron Brink | Stanford | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Soph | F |
| Paige Bueckers** | Connecticut | Big East | 5-11 | Soph | G |
| Caitlin Clark | Iowa | Big Ten | 6-0 | Soph | G |
| Zia Cooke | South Carolina | SEC | 5-9 | Jr. | G |
| Lorela Cubaj | Georgia Tech | ACC | 6-4 | Sr. | F |
| Elissa Cunane | NC State | ACC | 6-5 | Sr. | C |
| Destanni Henderson | South Carolina | SEC | 5-7 | Sr. | G |
| Naz Hillmon | Michigan | Big Ten | 6-2 | Sr. | F |
| Mackenzie Holmes | Indiana | Big Ten | 6-3 | Jr. | F |
| Rhyne Howard* | Kentucky | SEC | 6-2 | Sr. | G |
| Rickea Jackson | Mississippi State | SEC | 6-2 | Jr. | F |
| Ashley Joens | Iowa State | Big 12 | 6-1 | Sr. | G/F |
| Haley Jones | Stanford | Pac-12 | 6-1 | Jr. | G |
| Elizabeth Kitley | Virginia Tech | ACC | 6-6 | Jr. | C |
| Ayoka Lee | Kansas State | Big 12 | 6-6 | Jr. | C |
| Aneesah Morrow | DePaul | Big East | 6-1 | Fr. | F |
| Charisma Osborne | UCLA | Pac-12 | 5-9 | Jr. | G |
| Ashley Owusu | Maryland | Big Ten | 6-0 | Jr. | G |
| Angel Reese | Maryland | Big Ten | 6-3 | Soph | F/G |
| NaLyssa Smith* | Baylor | Big 12 | 6-4 | Sr. | F |
| Jenna Staiti | Georgia | SEC | 6-4 | Sr. | C |
| Maddy Westbeld | Notre Dame | ACC | 6-3 | Soph | F |
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, the Wooden Award All American Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07; '08), Maya Moore ('09; '11), Chiney Ogwumike ('14), Breanna Stewart ('15 and '16) and last year's recipients, Paige Bueckers of Connecticut and Luka Garza of Iowa.
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please go to www.woodenaward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook at www.facebook.com/woodenaward and @WoodenAward on Twitter and Instagram.
Follow Indiana Women's Basketball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
#GoIU
Players Mentioned
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