Wells Selected to John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List

LOS ANGELES – Continuing to add to her preseason accolades, Belmont University women's basketball's Destinee Wells has been named to the 2022-23 John R. Wooden Award^® presented by Wendy's^® Preseason Top 50 Watch List. Announced on ESPN.com midday Tuesday, Wells is one of only four mid-major players to appear on the prestigious list comprised of 50 of the top women's basketball players in the nation.
 
In two games this season, Wells has been magnificent scoring 40 points and proving to be clutch in the fourth quarter. All but 14 of Wells' points have come in the final quarter of play and she engineered a 14-point comeback in the Bruins' season opening home victory over the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga last Wednesday night. Against top-10 ranked Louisville Sunday inside the Curb Event Center, Wells put together her second consecutive 20-point performance to start the season with another 13-point fourth quarter. Taking Belmont to within a point of the nationally-ranked Cardinals in the final minute, Wells became the Bruins' 33rd 1,000-point scorer. For her efforts, she was selected as Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week.
 
In only 58 career games, Wells has scored 1,004 points and distributed 261 assists. The junior guard is averaging 17.3 points, 4.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals for her career. She has reached double-figure scoring in 45 of her last 47 games and 53 of 58 career outings. The Lakeland, Tennessee (Houston HS), native owns 22 20-point games and was named MVC Preseason Player of the Year in Belmont's first year in the league.
 
Over the last two NCAA Tournaments against some of the biggest names in the game, Wells averaged 19.8 points and five assists with 20-point outings at 18th-ranked Tennessee and versus Gonzaga. Named 2021-22 Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Player of the Year, Wells claimed back-to-back spots on the All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team and was tabbed All-American honorable mention by World Exposure Report at the conclusion of her sophomore seasons. Wells became only the second player in OVC history chosen as OVC Tournament MVP as both a freshman and sophomore upon leading the Bruins to their sixth OVC Tournament title in seven years.
 
Starting all but one game she has donned the Belmont jersey, Wells was the only freshman in the country to average at least 17.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.4 steals in 2020-21.
 
Wells was also placed on preseason watch lists for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy, Nancy Lieberman Award and Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award.
 
The Wood Award preseason watch list represents 10 conferences led by the Atlantic Coast with 12 selections, followed by the Big Ten and Southeastern with eight each, the Big 12 with seven, the Pacific-12 with six, the Big East with five and the ASUN, Atlantic 10, MVC and Summit League with one selection apiece.
 
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2023 John R. Wooden Award Women's Player of the Year presented by Wendy's. Players not chosen to the preseason list are still eligible for the Wooden Award™ midseason list, late season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot consists of 15 top players who have proven to their universities that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the Wooden Award. Nearly 1,000 voters will rank in order 10 of those 15 players when voting opens prior to the NCAA Tournament and will allow voters to take into consideration performance during early round games. The Wooden Award All-American Team™ will be announced the week of the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. The winner of the 2023 John R. Wooden Award will be presented in Los Angeles in April.
 
About the John R. Wooden Award
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award Program hosts the most prestigious honors in college basketball recognizing The Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player for men and women, The Wooden Award All-America Teams for men and women and the annual selection of the Wooden Award Legend of Coaching recipient. Honorees have proven to their university that they meet or exceed the qualifications of the John R. Wooden Award as set forth by Coach Wooden and the Wooden Award Steering Committee, including making progress towards graduation and maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Previous winners include Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07; '08), Maya Moore ('09; '11), Chiney Ogwumike ('14), and last year's recipients, Aliyah Boston of South Carolina and Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky.
 
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award has contributed nearly one million dollars to the universities' general scholarship fund in the names of the Wooden Award All American recipients and has sent more than 1,000 underprivileged children to week-long college basketball camps. Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award partners with the Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) each year to host the Wooden Award Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Tournament. The day-long tournament brings together Special Olympics athletes and Wooden Award All Americans and coaches in attendance. It is hosted at the Los Angeles Athletic Club during the John R. Wooden Award Weekend.
 
The Legends of Coaching Award will be presented along with the Wooden Award Men's and Women's Players of the Year on April 7, 2023. For up-to-date information on the Wooden Award, please visit WoodenAward.com and follow the Wooden Award on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by searching @WoodenAward.

Follow Belmont women's basketball on social media - @BelmontWBB on Twitter, @belmontwbb on Instagram and Belmont Women's Basketball on Facebook - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.