Orange Backcourt Featured on Wooden Award Preseason Watch List
12/1/2020 6:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Syracuse has one of the most dynamic backcourts in the nation this season in Kiara Lewis and Tiana Mangakahia. The duo makes up one half of the ACC players on the Preseason John R. Wooden Award Top-30 Watch List presented by Wendy's, announced Tuesday.
Lewis and Mangakahia are joined by NC State's Elissa Cunane and Louisville's Dana Evans on the list of 30. UConn had the most selections with four while Stanford had three.
Lewis led the Orange in scoring last season (17.3 ppg) playing all 31 games as Syracuse's starting point guard. Mangakahia, who missed last season due to a battle with stage 2 breast cancer, was a 2019 WBCA All-America Honorable Mention selection and set the program record for career assists (591) in two seasons with the Orange. Both have previously earned All-ACC First Team accolades and are also on the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Watch List. Mangakahia also found herself on the Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watch List for the third time in her career and the Wade Trophy Watch List while Lewis was selected to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Preseason Watch List.
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Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing The Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, The Wooden Award All American Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legend of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07; '08), Maya Moore ('09; '11), Chiney Ogwumike ('14), Breanna Stewart ('15 and '16) and last year's recipients, Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon and Obi Toppin of Dayton.Â
The tandem scored 24 of Syracuse's 50 points in the No. 22 Orange's season opening win versus Stony Brook on Sunday. Lewis, Mangakahia and the rest of the nationally-ranked 'Cuse squad play for the first time at home on Wednesday night against Lincoln. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on ACCNX.
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Lewis and Mangakahia are joined by NC State's Elissa Cunane and Louisville's Dana Evans on the list of 30. UConn had the most selections with four while Stanford had three.
Lewis led the Orange in scoring last season (17.3 ppg) playing all 31 games as Syracuse's starting point guard. Mangakahia, who missed last season due to a battle with stage 2 breast cancer, was a 2019 WBCA All-America Honorable Mention selection and set the program record for career assists (591) in two seasons with the Orange. Both have previously earned All-ACC First Team accolades and are also on the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Watch List. Mangakahia also found herself on the Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watch List for the third time in her career and the Wade Trophy Watch List while Lewis was selected to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Preseason Watch List.
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Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing The Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, The Wooden Award All American Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legend of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07; '08), Maya Moore ('09; '11), Chiney Ogwumike ('14), Breanna Stewart ('15 and '16) and last year's recipients, Sabrina Ionescu of Oregon and Obi Toppin of Dayton.Â
The tandem scored 24 of Syracuse's 50 points in the No. 22 Orange's season opening win versus Stony Brook on Sunday. Lewis, Mangakahia and the rest of the nationally-ranked 'Cuse squad play for the first time at home on Wednesday night against Lincoln. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on ACCNX.
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Players Mentioned
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