Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Lem Photography
Hsu Named to Becky Hammon Award Midseason Watch List
1/17/2024 11:39:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Ivy League’s leading scorer averages 21.4 points per game this season
HOPEWELL, N.J. – Columbia women's basketball senior guard Abbey Hsu has been named to the midseason watch list for the 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats. The midseason watch list, narrowed down to 15 players, was announced on Wednesday.
First given out in 2020, the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award recognizes the best mid-major player in women's division I college basketball. It is named for six-time WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon, who became the first full-time female coach in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. She took over as the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and has won back-to-back WNBA titles in her first two seasons.
Ten semifinalists will be announced in February. From there, five finalists will be announced in early March, with the winner announced around the Final Four. The list is fluid and players may play their way on or off the list throughout the season.
Last season, Hsu was named a semifinalist for the award on her way to being named a WBCA All-America Honorable Mention.
To be eligible for this award, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be "mid-major". The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award, and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC.
Hsu's 2023-24 campaign has been her best yet. The Parkland, Florida native is averaging an Ivy League-leading 21.4 points per game, ranking No. 13 in the NCAA. The Naismith Trophy Award Watch List and Wooden Watch selection is also 16th nationally in total points (343), top 30 in total threes (44) and 3-pointers per game (2.75), and 14th in total field goals (127). She has been named Ivy League Player of the Week four times and has garnered two of the five Met Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Div. I Women's Player of the Week Awards.
Among active career leaders, Hsu ranks No. 2 in the NCAA in 3-pointers made per game (3.02) – only Iowa's Caitlin Clark, the reigning AP Player of the Year, averages more threes per game in her career (3.73). She is 22nd among that group in career points (1,858), fourth in total threes (329) and 14th in scoring average (17.0). She recently moved into the top 10 on the Ivy League's all-time women's basketball scoring list.
The previous winners of the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award are Ciara Duffy, South Dakota State (2020), Kierstan Bell, FGCU (2021, 2022) and most recently Sam Breen, Massachusetts (2023).
2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award
Midseason Watch List *
(Listed alphabetically by institution)
Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State
McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State
Abbey Hsu, Columbia
Katie Dinnebier, Drake
Meghan Andersen, Fairfield
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Katelyn Young, Murray State
Diamond Johnson, Norfolk State
Kierra Wheeler, Norfolk State
Tess Heal, Santa Clara
Khari Clark, Stony Brook
Mia Moore, UAB
Desi-Rae Young, UNLV
Rachael Rose, Wofford
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2023-24 season
FOLLOW THE LIONS:
For the latest on Columbia women's basketball, follow @CULionsWBB on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
First given out in 2020, the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award recognizes the best mid-major player in women's division I college basketball. It is named for six-time WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon, who became the first full-time female coach in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. She took over as the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and has won back-to-back WNBA titles in her first two seasons.
Ten semifinalists will be announced in February. From there, five finalists will be announced in early March, with the winner announced around the Final Four. The list is fluid and players may play their way on or off the list throughout the season.
Last season, Hsu was named a semifinalist for the award on her way to being named a WBCA All-America Honorable Mention.
To be eligible for this award, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be "mid-major". The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award, and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC.
Hsu's 2023-24 campaign has been her best yet. The Parkland, Florida native is averaging an Ivy League-leading 21.4 points per game, ranking No. 13 in the NCAA. The Naismith Trophy Award Watch List and Wooden Watch selection is also 16th nationally in total points (343), top 30 in total threes (44) and 3-pointers per game (2.75), and 14th in total field goals (127). She has been named Ivy League Player of the Week four times and has garnered two of the five Met Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Div. I Women's Player of the Week Awards.
Among active career leaders, Hsu ranks No. 2 in the NCAA in 3-pointers made per game (3.02) – only Iowa's Caitlin Clark, the reigning AP Player of the Year, averages more threes per game in her career (3.73). She is 22nd among that group in career points (1,858), fourth in total threes (329) and 14th in scoring average (17.0). She recently moved into the top 10 on the Ivy League's all-time women's basketball scoring list.
The previous winners of the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award are Ciara Duffy, South Dakota State (2020), Kierstan Bell, FGCU (2021, 2022) and most recently Sam Breen, Massachusetts (2023).
2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award
Midseason Watch List *
(Listed alphabetically by institution)
Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State
McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State
Abbey Hsu, Columbia
Katie Dinnebier, Drake
Meghan Andersen, Fairfield
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Katelyn Young, Murray State
Diamond Johnson, Norfolk State
Kierra Wheeler, Norfolk State
Tess Heal, Santa Clara
Khari Clark, Stony Brook
Mia Moore, UAB
Desi-Rae Young, UNLV
Rachael Rose, Wofford
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2023-24 season
FOLLOW THE LIONS:
For the latest on Columbia women's basketball, follow @CULionsWBB on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
And then, there were 1️⃣5️⃣‼️ 👟
— Columbia Women's Basketball (@CULionsWBB) January 17, 2024
For a 2nd consecutive season, @abigailvhsu has been named to the Midseason Watch List for the @herhoopstats Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award 🏆#EDGE // #RoarLionRoar // #OnlyHere
🦁🏀🗽
📰https://t.co/ejZGrLu42u pic.twitter.com/pTGQvCd2E2
Highlights: WBK | Columbia 54, Seton Hall 53
Tuesday, December 09
Postgame: WBK | Page on Win at Seton Hall
Tuesday, December 09
Postgame: WBK | Henderson, Griffith on Win vs. Wagner
Saturday, December 06
Highlights: WBK | Columbia 82, Wagner 42
Saturday, December 06
