Tennessee Jasmine Franklin is among 20 players named as candidates to the preseason watch list for the 2023 Katrina McClain Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced Thursday.
Named after the two-time All-American and 1987 National Player of the Year, the annual award in its sixth year recognizes the best forwards in NCAA women’s college basketball. A national committee of senior college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.
“Katrina McClain was a dominant force throughout her career,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “We are proud to recognize these outstanding student-athletes who have proven themselves to be the best at their position. As we open our fan voting component tomorrow, we encourage fans to cast their votes alongside Katrina and our committee outstanding selection.”
A 6-foot-1 graduate transfer from Missouri State, Franklin averaged 14.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.8 steals last season before suffering a season-ending injury in January. She shot 53.8 percent from the field and 76 percent in her career free throws, posting eight double-doubles and nine double-digit rebounds. Against five Power 5 foes, she put up 15.6 ppg., 14.0 rpg., 2.4 spg. and 1.6 bpg.
Franklin, who was recruited to MSU and played for Kelly Harper AND Jon Harper when they were at that school, they averaged 11.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.3 blocks and 1.1 assists while starting 99 of 102 games for the Lady Bears. She averaged 9.2 points and 10.8 rebounds in six NCAA Tournament games, helping Missouri State advance to the Sweet 16 in 2019 and 2021. She finished with 1,122 points and 913 rebounds, ranking 24th and No. third all-time at the school. respectively. Franklin also ranked second in career blocks (130), third in career rebounding average (9.0) and doubles (33), and 15th in career steals (180) .
A two-time All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team selection in 2020 and 2021, Franklin also was the MVC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. She was a seven-time MVC Player of the Week and a four-time Newcomer of the Week in MVC during her time at MSU.
Fans are encouraged to participate in the Fan Vote, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds beginning Friday, October 21. In late January, the 20-player watch list for the 2023 Katrina McClain Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame selection committee, where a winner will be chosen.
The winner of the 2023 Katrina McClain Award will be presented at a date to be determined, along with the other four members of the Women’s Initial Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), the Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.
Previous winners of the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award are NaLyssa Smith, Baylor (2021), Ruthy Hebard, Oregon (2018, 2020) and Napheesa Collier, Connecticut (2019).
For more information on the 2023 Katrina McClain Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #McClainAward on Twitter and Instagram.
2023 Katrina McClain PRICE Candidates*
| Esmery Martinez | Arizona | Addie Budnick | Richmond |
| Cate Reese | Arizona | Fern Feagin | South Carolina |
| Erynn Barnum | Arkansas | Victoria Saxton | South Carolina |
| DreUna Edwards | Baylor | Cameron Brink | Stanford |
| Lauren Gustin | BYU | Jasmine Franklin | Tennessee |
| by Emma Ronsiek | Creighton | Aaliyah Moore | TEXAS |
| Aneesah Morrow | DePaul | Aaliyah Edwards | UConn |
| Olivia Cochran | Louisville | Alisa Pili | Utah |
| Angel Reese | LSU | Maddy Siegrist | Villanova |
| Maddy Westbeld | Our Lady | Sam Brunel | Virginia |
*The players can Play Theirs ORDER ABOUT AND turned off of list IN any point IN of 2022-23 the season
About Katrina McClain-Pittman:
Katrina McClain-Pittman was a prolific rebounder and scorer in a career that spanned three Olympics and three continents. Before earning her USA Basketball pinstripes, McClain-Pittman played at the University of Georgia, where she was a two-time Kodak All-American and the WBCA National Player of the Year her senior season.
She left Georgia as the school’s second all-time leading scorer and rebounder, averaging a double-double in her final two seasons in Athens. The Lady Bulldogs reached the 1985 NCAA Final Four and the national championship game with McClain-Pittman controlling the paint and Teresa Edwards directing the offense.
The two-time USA Basketball Athlete of the Year finished her international career with two Olympic gold medals and one bronze, three FIBA World Championship medals and five medals at the Goodwill Games, Pan Am Games and University Games World. Overall, McClain-Pittman appeared on eleven USA Basketball lists becoming one of the most decorated athletes in USA Basketball history.
She has been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, the Georgia State Hall of Fame, and the National High School Hall of Fame, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
