Mar 30, 2018; Columbus, OH, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Jessica Shepard (23) drives to the basket against Connecticut Huskies forward Azura Stevens (23) in the semifinals of the women's Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Shepard Named to 2019 Katrina McClain Watch List

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Notre Dame women’s basketball continues to place starters on the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame/Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) positional watch lists. On Thursday, the ‘Naismith Starting Five’ named Jessica Shepard to the 2019 Katrina McClain Watch List, which recognizes the top power forward in the country.
 
Shepard averaged the second most points on the team last season with 15.6 per game, all while shooting 56.5 percent from the field and reeling in an average of 8.1 rebounds per game.
 
The Nebraska native earned 15 double-doubles, which ranked as the third most for a single season at Notre Dame. In fact, Shepard recorded six double-doubles in the final eight games of the season.
 
Speaking of which, Shepard found a second gear come NCAA Tournament time, where she nearly averaged a double-double with 19.0 points and 9.3 rebounds. Furthermore, Shepard shot an impressive 58.1 percent of the field during the six-game championship run.
 
Shepard led the Irish in scoring in the national title game with 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, all leading to her being an All-Final Four Team selection. Shepard had also previously received First Team All-ACC honors.
 
The winner of the 2019 Katrina McClain Power Forward Award will be revealed on an ESPN platform during the Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Florida. The Selection Committee for the Katrina McClain Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
 
For more information and the latest updates on the 2019 Katrina McClain Award, log onto www.hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophall and #McClainAward on Twitter and Instagram.
 
2019 Katrina McClain Award Candidates

Kianna Ibis Arizona St.
Lauren Cox Baylor
Reyna Frost Central Michigan
Napheesa Collier Connecticut
Audrey Faber Creighton
Sara Rhine Drake
Caliya Robinson Georgia
Peyton Williams Kansas St
Brianna Fraser Maryland
Alex Johnson Middle Tennessee
Anriel Howard Mississippi St.
Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah Northwestern
Jessica Shepard Notre Dame
Ruthy Hebard Oregon
Bella Alarie Princeton
Alexis Jennings South Carolina
Alanna Smith Stanford
Amy Okonkwo TCU
Charli Collier Texas
Megan Huff Utah

 
*Players can play their way onto and off of the list at any point in the 2018-19 season*
 
— ND —