Aug. 15, 2007

BERKELEY, Calif. - California junior center Devanei Hampton has been named to the 2007-08 preseason "Wade Watch" list for the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year.

The 25-member list, which was selected by a committee of leading coaches, journalists and basketball administrators, is comprised of top Division I student-athletes who best embody the spirit of Margaret Wade according to the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability.

Last season, Hampton became the first Cal women's basketball player to garner Pac-10 Player of the Year honors after leading the Pac-10 in rebounding (8.9 rpg) and ranking second in scoring (18.9 ppg) in conference games. The Oakland, Calif., product also was chosen an honorable mention All-American by Kodak/WBCA and the Associated Press. A two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection, Hampton finished the 2006-07 season averaging 16.6 ppg and 8.0 rpg, placing her seventh and third in the conference, respectively. She recorded eight double-doubles and posted at least 21 points 11 times last year.

Hampton and Stanford's Candice Wiggins and Jayne Appel represent the Pac-10 Conference on this season's "Wade Watch."

The State Farm Wade Trophy, now in its 30th year and named after the late, legendary three-time national champion Delta State University coach, Lily Margaret Wade, debuted in 1978 as the first-ever women's national player of the year award in college basketball. This highly prestigious award, regarded as the "Heisman of Women's Basketball", is organized by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), in conjunction with the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS).

The 2008 State Farm Wade Trophy winner will be announced at the WBCA National Convention held in conjunction with the NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa, Fla., April 5-8, 2008.

2007-08 State Farm Wade Trophy Preseason List (alphabetical order)

Matee Ajavon, Rutgers University
Charel Allen, University of Notre Dame
Jolene Anderson, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Nicky Anosike, University of Tennessee
Jayne Appel, Stanford University
Essence Carson, Rutgers University
Tina Charles, University of Connecticut
Marissa Coleman, University of Maryland
Sylvia Fowles, Louisiana State University
Devanei Hampton, University of California
Alexis Hornbuckle, University of Tennessee
Tasha Humphrey, University of Georgia
Crystal Kelly, Western Kentucky University
Crystal Langhorne, University of Maryland
Erlana Larkins, University of North Carolina
Angel McCoughtry, University of Louisville
Renee Montgomery, University of Connecticut
Marscilla Packer, Ohio State University
Courtney Paris, University of Oklahoma
Candace Parker, University of Tennessee
Kristi Toliver, University of Maryland
Kia Vaughn, Rutgers University
Marcedes Walker, University of Pittsburgh
Abby Waner, Duke University
Candice Wiggins, Stanford University