FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason women's basketball standout
Sonia Smith has been nominated for one of the most prestigious honors in collegiate athletics.
The Atlantic 10 Conference member institutions have nominated 17 outstanding female student-athletes for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award and Smith is George Mason's candidate. The pool of nominees, which were announced Thursday by the A-10, represent nine sports across 13 different A-10 institutions. Smith was selected by George Mason Athletics leadership.
The graduate student had her best season in a Patriots uniform and was invited and participated in the
Premier WNBA Combine sponsored by ProHoops in Cleveland, Ohio at the Women's Final Four.
The guard out of Upper Marlboro, Md. was tabbed as the Atlantic 10's Most Improved Player and was named to the Atlantic 10 First Team, a first for the program since 2019
. Smith's Most Improved Player award marks the first time a Patriot has earned the award from the Atlantic 10.
Smith emerged as the Patriots' top offensive player this season, averaging a team-high 15.2 points per game, shooting 40 % from the field, including 32% from three-point range, and leading Mason in scoring all year. She scored in double-figures in all but four games this season and registered seven 20+ scoring performance, including a career-high 30 points at Duquesne.
Tabbed as a leader by the coaching staff, Smith was named captain of the basketball team in her final season at George Mason. She was an incredible ambassador for the Patriots team but also made an impact off the court by interacting with the community. She and her teammates were engaged with the community through efforts with the elementary schools, Girl Scouts, and local charities.
The league's Senior Woman Administrators will vote on the nominees to select two student-athletes who will be named A-10 Woman of the Year and represent the league as 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year conference finalists.
The 17 institutional nominees have been recognized for exceptional athletic prowess, leadership skills, academic success, and service to the respective communities. Each candidate has noteworthy credentials, earning All-Conference awards, participation in postseason competition and academic honors, both from the A-10 and on a national scale. A complete list of the nominees, their sport, hometown and academic studies is included below. A full profile of each candidate will be shared on Atlantic10.com over the upcoming weeks.
One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 34th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Per the NCAA, all conference-level nominees are advanced to the Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the three finalists in each division. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year. The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced this fall.
