HOPEWELL, N.J.—South Dakota senior guard Ciara Duffy has been named one of five finalists for the inaugural Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award presented by Her Hoop Stats on Tuesday.
 
The Becky Hammon Award is designed to recognize the nation's best mid-major player in women's basketball. The award is named for South Dakota basketball legend Becky Hammon, who became the first female full-time coach in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. Hammon spent 16 years playing in the WNBA and her last eight with the San Antonio Stars, where her number was retired in 2016. She was a six-time WNBA All-Star.
 
Duffy and Hammon share the same hometown in Rapid City, South Dakota.
 
The 2020 Summit League Player of the Year and a three-time all-Summit League first-team pick, Duffy is averaging 16.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists in her senior campaign. She's shooting 50 percent from the field, 43 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the stripe. Duffy is the only player in South Dakota women's basketball history with more than 1,700 points, 600 rebounds and 400 assists in her career. She sits third on USD's all-time scoring charts behind Mandy Koupal and Nicole Seekamp.
 
Duffy was named to the Academic All-America first team yesterday, garnering her third-straight Academic All-America honor. She's one of two three-time Academic All-Americans in USD history and the first since 1980.
 
The Coyotes are 29-2 this season entering today's Summit League Tournament Championship. South Dakota is ranked No. 17 in the Associated Press poll and No. 12 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Coyotes ran the table in the Summit League regular season, outscoring league foes by an average margin of 32 points.
 
2020 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Finalists
Bella Alarie, Princeton
Ciara Duffy, South Dakota
Stella Johnson, Rider
Chelsey Perry, UT Martin
Sara Rhine, Drake