COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina junior Sania Feagin is one of 20 candidates named to the 2024 Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award Preseason Watch List, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today. In its seventh season, this award recognizes the top power forward in women’s NCAA Div. I college basketball.
This marks Feagin’s third appearance on the McClain Award Preseason Watch List. The high school All-American and FIBA U19 World Cup gold medalist has made steady improvement over her first two seasons in a frontcourt laden with WNBA draftees. She added 4.9 points per game last season, shooting 60.0 percent from the field. Five of her six career double-figure scoring games came last season, averaging just 7.9 minutes.
A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates. In late January, the watch list of 20 players 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’s selection committee, where a winner will be selected. Throughout the process, players will have the ability to play themselves on or off the lists until the five finalists are selected. Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds, starting Fri., Oct. 20.
The 2024 Katrina McClain Award winner 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), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward) and Lisa Leslie Award (Center), in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.
South Carolina will host an exhibition game against Rutgers on Sun., Oct. 22, as the two programs honor former assistant coach Nikki McCray-Penson, who passed away over the summer. Tipoff at Colonial Life Arena is set for 1 p.m.
The Gamecocks will officially open the 2023-24 season in an historic way, playing #10/10 Notre Dame in Paris, France, on Nov. 6. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN with a 1 p.m. ET tipoff. South Carolina’s regular-season schedule includes 11 games against teams ranked in at least one of the two national polls, including five games in the season’s first five weeks.
