A’ja Pays Tribute to USBWA Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award Presentation

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

In her first diary  post for the Associated Press leading to Thursday’s  WNBA draft in New York, South Carolina’s A’ja Wilson, the unanimous national player of the year, spends a moment paying tribute to the USBWA presentation of the Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award to Saint Joseph’s Avery Marz at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Columbus.

A’ja received the Ann Meyers Drysdale national player of the year award at the event.

 Here are her diary comments and thanks to the NCAA archives via Saint Joseph’s here’s a link to the event which is a half-hour with the Summitt award presentation around the 15 minute mark after the individual coach, player, and freshman awards.

USBWA is shorthand for the United States Basketball Writers Association of which your Guru is the    Women’s Hoops Coordinator, who also was the emcee.

A’ja remarks:

One thing that I will always remember is sitting in the USBWA award ceremony at the Final Four.

 I was really touched hearing Lauren Hill's parents share her story when they awarded the Pat Summitt Most Courageous award to Saint Joseph's guard Avery Marz.

 To hear how special it was for Lauren and Avery to play basketball meant a lot to me. 

I didn't know Lauren personally, but we both wore No. 22 and I will always feel connected to her because of that.

I've gotten to know Avery a bit, and I follow her on Instagram. She's a phenomenal woman and her returning from a stroke put a lot of things in perspective. Both stories really touched my heart.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GggVLNj-5_DIRypRmWB5z1bs8UBDm43G/view