Louisville Forward Morgan Jones Named to Miller Award Watch List

The award recognizes the top small forward in Division I women's college basketball.

Press Release from the University of Louisville:

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced today that University of Louisville women's basketball graduate guard Morgan Jones is one of 20 watch list candidates for the 2023 Cheryl Miller Award. Named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer, the annual award in its sixth year recognizes the top small forwards in women's NCAA Division I college basketball.

Jones comes to the Cardinals after beginning her collegiate career at Florida State. While with the Seminoles, Jones was a two-time WBCA Honorable Mention All-American in her last two seasons and was also named to the All-ACC First Team in her previous two seasons. In her senior season with Florida State, Jones led the Seminoles in scoring (13.8) and was also named a second team All-American by the Senior CLASS Award.

Louisville is one of three teams to have a player named to each of the three positional watch lists so far this season. Chrislyn Carr was named to the Lieberman Award Watch List and Hailey Van Lith was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Watch List.

2023 Cheryl Miller Award Candidates*

Aijha Blackwell, Baylor
Madi Williams, Oklahoma
Elizabeth Balogun, Duke
Lior Garzon, Oklahoma State
Jordyn Merritt, Florida
Brea Beal, South Carolina
Grace Berger, Indiana
Myah Selland, South Dakota State
Ashley Joens, Iowa State
Haley Jones, Stanford
Morgan Jones, Louisville
Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
Shay Holle, Texas
Mimi Collins, NC State
Caroline Ducharme, UConn
Skyler Gill, North Alabama
Gianna Kneepkens, Utah
Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina
Taylor Soule, Virginia Tech

*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2022-23 season

Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds starting Friday, October 21. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2023 Cheryl Miller Award will be narrowed to 10 and then in late February to just five. In March the five finalists will be presented to Miller and the Hall of Fame's selection committee where a winner will be selected.

The winner of the 2023 Cheryl Miller Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men's Starting Five.

Previous winners of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award are Ashley Joens, Iowa State (2021-22), Satou Sabally, Oregon (2020), Bridget Carleton, Iowa State (2019) and Gabby Williams, Connecticut (2018).

(Photo of Morgan Jones via University of Louisville Athletics)

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