The Wade Trophy is one of the awards that is presented every year to the female basketball players under NCAA Division I college women’s basketball. The award is named after Lily Margaret Wade, coach of the Delta State University who led the Delta State Lady Statesmen to becoming the champions thrice in her career.
The award was introduced in 1978 and has been given to female college basketball players ever since. The athlete to win the Wade Trophy the maximum number of times so far is Maya Moore, who won it thrice in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The University of Connecticut has won the trophy the most.
The trophy is presented based on the requirement that the player shows “the spirit of Margaret Wade” during games. She also has to be a member of the NCAA Division I WBCA Coaches' All-America Team. Other criterias include being impressive during games, having sportsmanship and ethical qualities on the court and having the permission to compete under NCAA rules.
The race is on to crown a new Wade Trophy winner among the best women’s college basketball players in 2024.
Previous Winners of the Wade Trophy
Since the introduction of the trophy in 1978, multiple college women’s basketball players have managed to win the Wade Trophy, some of them more than once. The list below provides the details of all of the previous winners of The Wade Trophy.
| Season | Players | University | Team | Postiton | Class |
| 977–78 | Carol Blazejowski | Montclair State | Montclair State Red Hawks | Forward | Senior |
| 1978–79 | Nancy Lieberman | Old Dominion | Old Dominion Monarchs | Guard | Junior |
| 1979–80 | Nancy Lieberman (2) | Old Dominion | Old Dominion Monarchs | Guard | Senior |
| 1980–81 | Lynette Woodard | Kansas | Kansas Jayhawks | Guard | Senior |
| 1981–82 | Pam Kelly | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters | Center | Senior |
| 1982–83 | LaTaunya Pollard | Long Beach State | Long Beach State Beach | Guard | Senior |
| 1983–84 | Janice Lawrence Braxton | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters | Forward | Senior |
| 1984–85 | Cheryl Miller | USC | USC Trojans | Forward | Junior |
| 1985–86 | Kamie Ethridge | Texas | Texas Longhorns | Guard | Senior |
| 1986–87 | Shelly Pennefather | Villanova | Villanova Wildcats | Forward | Senior |
| 1987–88 | Teresa Weatherspoon | Louisiana Tech | Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters | Guard | Senior |
| 1988–89 | Clarissa Davis | Texas | Texas Longhorns | Forward | Senior |
| 1989–90 | Jennifer Azzi | Stanford | Stanford Cardinal | Guard | Senior |
| 1990–91 | Daedra Charles | Tennessee | Tennessee Lady Volunteers | Center | Senior |
| 1991–92 | Susan Robinson | Penn State | Penn State Nittany Lions | Forward | Senior |
| 1992–93 | Karen Jennings | Nebraska | Nebraska Cornhuskers | Forward | Senior |
| 1993–94 | Carol Ann Shudlick | Minnesota | Minnesota Golden Gophers | Forward | Senior |
| 1994–95 | Rebecca Lobo | UConn | UConn Huskies | Center | Senior |
| 1995–96 | Jennifer Rizzotti | UConn | UConn Huskies | Guard | Senior |
| 1996–97 | DeLisha Milton | Florida | Florida Gators | Forward | Senior |
| 1997–98 | Ticha Penicheiro | Old Dominion | Old Dominion Monarchs | Guard | Senior |
| 1998–99 | Stephanie White | Purdue | Purdue Boilermakers | Guard | Senior |
| 1999–00 | Edwina Brown | Texas | Texas Longhorns | Guard | Senior |
| 2000–01 | Jackie Stiles | Southwest Missouri State | Missouri State Lady Bears | Guard | Senior |
| 2001–02 | Sue Bird | UConn | UConn Huskies | Guard | Senior |
| 2002–03 | Diana Taurasi | UConn | UConn Huskies | Forward | Junior |
| 2003–04 | Alana Beard | Duke | Duke Blue Devils | Guard | Senior |
| 2004–05 | Seimone Augustus | LSU | LSU Lady Tigers | Guard | Junior |
| 2005–06 | Seimone Augustus (2) | LSU | LSU Lady Tigers | Guard | Senior |
| 2006–07 | Candace Parker | Tennessee | Tennessee Lady Volunteers | Center | Junior |
| 2007–08 | Candice Wiggins | Stanford | Stanford Cardinal | Guard | Senior |
| 2008–09 | Maya Moore | UConn | UConn Huskies | Forward | Sophomore |
| 2009–10 | Maya Moore (2) | UConn | UConn Huskies | Forward | Junior |
| 2010–11 | Maya Moore (3) | UConn | UConn Huskies | Forward | Senior |
| 2011–12 | Brittney Griner | Baylor | Baylor Lady Bears | Center | Junior |
| 2012–13 | Brittney Griner (2) | Baylor | Baylor Lady Bears | Center | Senior |
| 2013–14 | Odyssey Sims | Baylor | Baylor Lady Bears | Guard | Senior |
| 2014–15 | Breanna Stewart | UConn | UConn Huskies | Forward | Junior |
| 2015–16 | Breanna Stewart (2) | UConn | UConn Huskies | Forward | Senior |
| 2016–17 | Kelsey Plum | Washington | Washington Huskies | Guard | Senior |
| 2017–18 | A'ja Wilson | South Carolina | South Carolina Gamecocks | Forward | Senior |
| 2018–19 | Sabrina Ionescu | Oregon | Oregon Ducks | Guard | Junior |
| 2019–20 | Sabrina Ionescu (2) | Oregon | Oregon Ducks | Guard | Senior |
| 2020–21 | NaLyssa Smith | Baylor | Baylor Lady Bears | Forward | Junior |
| 2021–22 | Aliyah Boston | South Carolina | South Carolina Gamecocks | Forward | Junior |
| 2022–23 | Caitlin Clark | Iowa | Iowa Hawkeyes | Guard | Junior |
Colleges to win the Wade Trophy the Most Number of Times
These are the colleges that have won the Wade Trophy maximum times so far.
| Name | Number of Wins |
| University of Connecticut | 13 |
| Baylor University | 4 |
| University of Texas at Austin | 3 |
| Old Dominion University | 3 |
| Louisiana Tech University | 2 |
FAQ's On The Wade Trophy Winner List Year by Year
A. The Wade Trophy has been named after Lily Margaret Wade.
A. Carol Blazejowski first won the Wade Trophy in 1978.
A. Caitlin Clark last won the Wade Trophy in 2023.
A. The athlete to win the Wade Trophy the most is Maya Moore. She won it thrice.
A. The University of Connecticut won the Wade Trophy the most. They have won it 13 times so far.
