Elissa Cunane Named One Of Five Finalists For Lisa Leslie Award
NC State women's basketball junior Elissa Cunane has been announced as one of five finalists for the 2021 Lisa Leslie Award, an annual honor that recognizes the top center in women's NCAA Division I college basketball.
Cunane was also one of the five finalists for the award last season after putting together a stellar sophomore campaign that ended with AP and USBWA All-America honors. She is also in consideration for multiple other national honors, which includes being a semifinalist for Naismith Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and on the late season watch lists for the Wade Trophy and the John R. Wooden Award.
This month, the finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The winner of the 2021 Lisa Leslie Award will then be determined by a combination of fan votes and input from the committee. Wolfpack fans are encouraged to participate in this year's Fan Voting, which goes live today and runs through March 19.
Cunane was recently honored as a Consensus First Team All-ACC selection for the second season in a row. She ended the 2020-21 regular season ranked in the top 15 in the ACC in scoring (6th - 15.6), rebounding (7th - 8.0), field-goal percentage (2nd - .557), free throw percentage (3rd - .863) and blocks per game (14th - 1.0). Her shooting mark is also 19th in the nation.
The Summerfield, N.C., native has scored in double figures in all but one game she played in this season, with three 20+ point outings and five double-doubles on the year. She shot 50+ percent from the floor in a total of 10 outings, including two perfect shooting nights against NC Central (6-of-6) and Boston College (9-of-9).
Cunane averages 10.0 points in the paint, and the rest of her scoring average shows her ability to step out and knock down the three. She is 10-of-21 (.476) from distance this season, highlighted by a career-best 3-of-5 (.600) mark in NC State's win against Miami on Dec. 20.
The winner of this season's Lisa Leslie Award will be presented April 9, 2021 alongside the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. For more information on the award and to vote beginning March 5, visit HoopHallAwards.com.