Lincoln – Nebraska’s Jordan Hooper earned mention among the best women’s basketball players in the nation, when she was named to the John R. Wooden Award’s Preseason Top 30 on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Hooper, a 6-2 senior forward from Alliance, Neb., was named to the Wooden’s preseason list for the second straight season. Last year, Hooper helped Nebraska to the NCAA Sweet 16 while earning honorable-mention All-America honors from both the Associated Press and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
The two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection averaged 17.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game as a junior in 2012-13. Hooper enters her senior season in position to challenge Nebraska school records for points, rebounds and three-pointers. She enters her fourth year as a Husker starter with 1,685 points, 811 rebounds and 215 made threes.
During the summer of 2013, Hooper helped the USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team to a gold-medal game victory over Russia. In the championship game, she earned the start and produced nine points and nine rebounds. Her USA Basketball teammates on the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30 include, Odyssey Sims (Baylor), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (UConn), Bria Hartley (UConn) Theresa Plaisance (LSU), Shoni Schimmel (Louisville), Tricia Liston (Duke), Cassie Harberts (USC) and Aaryn Ellenberg (Oklahoma).
Hooper is one of three Big Ten players on the Wooden Award Preseason Top 30, joining senior Maggie Lucas from Penn State and junior guard Rachel Banham from Minnesota.
Hooper and her Nebraska teammates open exhibition play for the 2013-14 season on Sunday when they take on Pittsburg State. The game is set for 2 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
2013 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 30
| Name |
Height |
Class |
Position |
University | Conference |
| Natalie Achonwa | 6-3 | Sr. | F | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Rachel Banham | 5-9 | Jr. | G | Minnesota | Big Ten |
| Brittany Boyd | 5-9 | Jr. | G | California | Pac-12 |
| Gennifer Brandon | 6-2 | Sr. | F | California | Pac-12 |
| Hallie Christofferson | 6-3 | Sr. | F | Iowa State | Big 12 |
| Jerica Coley | 5-8 | Sr. | G | FIU | Conference USA |
| Jazmine Davis | 5-7 | Jr. | PG | Washington | Pac-12 |
| Diamond DeShields | 6-1 | Fr. | G | North Carolina | ACC |
| Stefanie Dolson | 6-5 | Sr. | C | UConn | The American |
| Aaryn Ellenberg | 5-7 | Sr. | G | Oklahoma | Big 12 |
| Bashaara Graves | 6-2 | So. | F | Tennessee | SEC |
| Chelsea Gray | 5-11 | Sr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| Cassie Harberts | 6-2 | Sr. | F | USC | Pac-12 |
| Bria Hartley | 5-8 | Sr. | G | UConn | The American |
| Jordan Hooper | 6-2 | Sr. | F | Nebraska | Big Ten |
| Tricia Liston | 6-1 | Sr. | G | Duke | ACC |
| Maggie Lucas | 5-10 | Sr. | G | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Tyuanna Marshall | 5-9 | Sr. | G | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| Kayla McBride | 5-11 | Sr. | G | Notre Dame | ACC |
| Xylina McDaniel | 6-2 | So. | F | North Carolina | ACC |
| Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis | 6-0 | Jr. | F | UConn | The American |
| Chiney Ogwumike# | 6-4 | Sr. | F | Stanford | Pac-12 |
| Theresa Plaisance | 6-5 | Sr. | F | LSU | SEC |
| Shoni Schimmel | 5-6 | Jr. | G | Louisville | The American |
| Meighan Simmons | 5-9 | Sr. | G | Tennessee | SEC |
| Odyssey Sims# | 5-8 | Sr. | G | Baylor | Big 12 |
| DeNesha Stallworth | 6-3 | Sr. | F | Kentucky | SEC |
| Breanna Stewart | 6-4 | So. | F | UConn | The American |
| Alyssa Thomas | 6-2 | Sr. | F | Maryland | ACC |
| Elizabeth Williams | 6-3 | Jr. | C/F | Duke | ACC
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