TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Florida State women’s basketball senior forward Natasha Howard is one of 50 student-athletes across the country named to the Naismith Trophy Early Season Watch List, announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
The annual trophy given to the women’s college player of the year is voted on by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s board of selectors, comprised of leading basketball journalists, coaches and administrators from around the country. Howard, who hails from Toledo, Ohio, is also a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award.
Howard has helped Florida State to a 4-1 start to the 2013-14 season, averaging 13.2 points and 7.6 rebounds. She started the year tying her career high with 24 points against UNC Greensboro in the season-opener and had a good performance in FSU’s last game at No. 4/3 Louisville, generating 13 points and 14 rebounds.
The All-America contender boasts 27 career double-doubles, sitting just four shy of tying former Seminole Sue Galkantas’ (1981-84) mark of 31. In her senior year, Howard is shooting over 58 percent from the field, has a team-high 13 blocks and six steals.
Against Louisville on Nov. 24, Howard moved past the 1,200 career points plateau and now has 1,202. She moves into 20th on the school’s all-time scoring list, and recently played in her 100th career game at FSU in a 76-68 win at rival Florida on Nov. 21.
Howard has etched her name across the Seminole women’s hoops record books. She is eighth with 778 rebounds, third with 123 career blocks and is just two steals away from placing on the school’s Top 20 list.
A total of 14 players from the Atlantic Coast Conference are represented on the Top 50 watch list, the most of any league. The other ACC players included are Natalie Achonwa (Notre Dame), Kaela Davis (Georgia Tech), Diamond DeShields (UNC), Chelsea Gray (Duke), Tricia Liston (Duke), Jewell Loyd (Notre Dame), Tyaunna Marshall (Georgia Tech), Kayla McBride (Notre Dame), Xylina McDaniel (UNC), Laurin Mincy (Maryland), Haley Peters (Duke), Alyssa Thomas (Maryland) and Elizabeth Williams (Duke).
The mid-season watch list for the Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year is scheduled to be announced on Feb. 26, 2014. The four finalists will be unveiled on March 21, and the winner will be announced on April 7 during the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Nashville, Tenn.
For more information on Florida State women's basketball, follow the Seminoles on Twitter at @FSU_WBasketball and like their official Facebook page (Facebook.com/FSUWomensBasketball).
