Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's junior forward, Grace VanSlooten, has been named as one of the top 10 candidates for the Cheryl Miller Award. The announcement was made by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).

VanSlooten joins two other Big Ten players on this prestigious list: Indiana's Yarden Garzon and Ohio State's Cotie McMahon. The award recognizes the best small forwards in women's college basketball.

In her first season with Michigan State after transferring from Oregon, VanSlooten ranks second in team scoring with an average of 14.4 points per game. She is also fifth in the Big Ten for field goal percentage at .529 and ranks tenth in blocks with 1.14 per game.

The Cheryl Miller Award, now in its eighth year, is named after three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Hall of Famer from the Class of 1995, Cheryl Miller.

Fan participation is encouraged through Fan Voting during both remaining rounds starting Friday, February 7, on hoophallawards.com. Votes from fans will contribute as one committee vote in selecting finalists.

The current list will be narrowed to five candidates in March. Later that month, these finalists will be presented to Erving, Miller, and selection committees from the Hall of Fame for final voting. These committees include notable figures from men's and women's college basketball such as media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.

Michigan State University is scheduled to play against Michigan on Sunday, February 9 for National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

The complete list of 2025 Cheryl Miller Award candidates includes Yarden Garzon (Indiana), Mikaylah Williams (LSU), Grace VanSlooten (Michigan State), Saniya Rivers (N.C. State), Alyssa Ustby (North Carolina), Sonia Citron (Notre Dame), Cotie McMahon (Ohio State), Madison Booker (Texas), Sarah Strong (UConn), and Gianna Kneepkens (Utah).