Bradshaw, Doherty nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year award
UD women’s basketball senior guard Araion Bradshaw (left) is among the nominees for NCAA Woman of the Year. Photo courtesy of Christian Cubacub, Flyer News.
Peter Burtnett
Sports Editor
Two recent University of Dayton graduates were among the nominees from the Atlantic 10 Conference for the NCAA Woman of the Year award announced Friday.
Women’s basketball’s graduate senior guard Araion Bradshaw and volleyball’s graduate setter Bridget Doherty are the candidates from UD. In a press release sent to media, the accomplishments of both women were recognized, beginning with Bradshaw.
“Bradshaw is a graduate student with a degree in civil engineering and working on her master’s in engineering management,” the release said. “A native of Boston, Mass., Bradshaw is a four-year member of the Flyers and going into her fifth season at UD. She is the reigning Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year and guided the Flyers to the 2020-21 A-10 regular season championship. The starting point guard also picked up All-Defensive Team honors for the second straight year and was named Third Team All-Conference.
“Off the court, she has been just as impactful. She started the Athletes Driving Change organization that is a group of minority A-10 women’s basketball players focused on the mission to ‘promote permanent change toward equality through the voices of Atlantic 10 female athletes using a unified and inclusive platform.’ She earned the Social Justice Award at this year’s R.U.D.Y.S. Banquet for her work on equality and education. Bradshaw is a passionate and vocal leader in the community and has represented the University with the utmost integrity.”
Doherty (center right, no. 7) was an important part of the impressive season for Flyers volleyball. Photo courtesy of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
“Doherty is a senior setter from Overland Park, Kan., who graduated with a degree in finance. A four-year contributor for the Flyers, Doherty had the best season of her career this past year. She earned A-10 Setter of the Year accolades. Doherty was also A-10 First Team All-Conference, AVCA All-Midwest Region, and A-10 All-Championship Team. She was just as successful in the classroom, receiving the prestigious R.U.D.Y. Award at the annual Dayton Athletics banquet, as well as A-10 All-Academic Team and CoSIDA Academic All-District. Doherty led the Flyers to their third-straight A-10 Championship title and to the second round of the NCAA Championship tournament.”
The NCAA established the Woman of the Year Award in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics, and the awards has become of the the NCAA’s most prestigious honors. The award honors “graduating female college athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.”
The league’s Senior Woman Administrators are voting on 16 of the nominees to select two who will represent the Atlantic 10 Conference as 2021 NCAA Woman of the Year finalists.
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