ATLANTA – Already an early candidate for major national awards such as the Nancy Lieberman Award and the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, Belmont University women's basketball's Destinee Wells has been named to the 2023 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Watch List. Announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club Friday afternoon, Wells is one of just 50 players to appear on the prestigious national player of the year watch list.
 
The 2022-23 Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year is one of only two players from non-power conference teams to be selected to the Naismith Trophy's preseason watch list, joining South Dakota State redshirt senior forward Myah Selland.
 
A junior guard, Wells begins her 2022-23 campaign needing only 36 points to become the Bruins' 33rd 1,000-point scorer. She has been outstanding in her first two seasons leading Belmont's backcourt, accounting for 964 points, 255 assists, 188 rebounds and 91 steals across 56 games. Wells has averaged 17.2 points, 4.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals in her first two years while reaching double figures in 43 of her last 45 games and 51 of 56 career outings.
 
The 30-member midseason team will be announced in early January, and then the competition will be narrowed down to 10 national semifinalists in early March. Following those results, four finalists will be named on March 21, 2023, and the winner of the 2023 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy for Women's Player of the Year will be announced on March 29, 2023.
 
A member of the 2022 national champion Gamecocks, South Carolina senior forward Aliyah Boston won the Naismith Trophy last year.
 
"We have selected an elite group of athletes for the 2023 Jersey Mike's Women's Naismith Trophy watch list this year, and we look forward to keeping an eye on these stellar players and adding additional excellent players as the season progresses," said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
 
Having started in all but one game she has donned the Bruin jersey, Wells was the only freshman in the nation to average at least 17.5 points, 4.5 assists and 2.4 steals in 2020-21.
 
Over the last two NCAA Tournaments against some of the biggest names in the game, the Lakeland, Tennessee (Houston HS), native averaged 19.8 points and five assists with 20-point performances at nationally-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 season. Wells became only the second player in OVC history chosen as OVC Tournament MVP as both a freshman and sophomore upon leading Belmont to its sixth OVC Tournament title in seven years.
 
Reaching double figures 29 times in 2021-22, which was all but two games, seven of Wells' 11 20-point performances took place during the most important months of the season – February and March. She ranked among the top 65 players in the nation in both total assists (140) and assists per game (4.5) while finishing the year with 519 points and 112 rebounds.
 
Wells is a career 81.4 percent (197-of-242) shooter at the free-throw line.
 
"The athletes on the watch list are the best of the best in their sport, and likely will provide a season full of exciting moments on the court," said Jeff Hemschoot, Jersey Mike's vice president of marketing. "We are excited to watch these women compete as we get ready for another terrific season of women's college basketball."
 
About the Atlanta Tipoff Club
Founded during the 1956-57 season, the Atlanta Tipoff Club is committed to promoting the game of basketball and recognizing the outstanding accomplishments of those who make the game so exciting. The Atlanta Tipoff Club administers the Naismith Awards, the most prestigious national honors in all of college and high school basketball. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of the game of basketball, the family of Naismith Awards annually recognizes the most outstanding men's and women's college and high school basketball players and coaches. Other Naismith Awards are presented to the men's and women's college basketball defensive players of the year, as well as lifetime achievement awards to basketball officials and outstanding contributors to the game. UCLA's Lew Alcindor received the first Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy in 1969, while the late Anne Donovan (Old Dominion) was the inaugural women's recipient in 1983. Corporate partners of the Naismith Awards include Jersey Mike's and Werner Ladder.
 
About Jersey Mike's Subs
Jersey Mike's Subs, with more than 2,300 locations open and under development nationwide, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread — the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike's local communities is reflective in its mission statement "Giving…making a difference in someone's life." For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
 
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.