COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham was named to the Naismith Trophy Women’s Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Cunningham is one of just 50 players from around the country and one of 11 players from the SEC on the list for the women’s college basketball’s player of the year honor. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball, the first Naismith trophy was awarded in 1969 to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The trophy was sculpted by Marty C. Dawe of Atlanta and has become among the most prestigious national honors awarded each year to top basketball players in the nation. The Women’s Player of the Year Award was first given to Anne Donovan of Old Dominion University in 1983.

Each year the club’s board publishes the “Naismith Watch List” that is made up of the top 50 players to watch in men’s and women’s college basketball. The organization also releases a list of 30 mid-season Naismith candidates. At the end of the season the Naismith Trophy is awarded to the player of the year in men’s and women’s college basketball. A national voting academy of leading basketball coaches, administrators and journalists narrows the group down to four finalists based on player performance throughout the season. The final four Naismith finalists will make up the ballot and the player of the year is voted on by the group.

After earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2015-16, Cunningham has picked up right where she left off to begin her sophomore campaign. She is averaging a team-high 15.2 points to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Cunningham has reached double-digits in eight of nine games, highlighted by a 22-point outburst in a win over Missouri State.

Cunningham was named second-team All-SEC a season ago after starting all 32 games as a freshman. She notched 20-plus points on 10 different occasions, including a school-record 42-point outing against Wake Forest. She received a conference-record six SEC Freshman of the Week awards.

Cunningham and Mizzou take on Wichita State on Friday at Mizzou Arena. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —