Story courtesy of Grand Valley State's Sports Information Department 

Grand Valley State -- The NCAA Woman of the Year Selection Committee has announced that former Grand Valley State women's basketball player, Cassidy Boensch, is a finalist and one of the Top 30 honorees for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award.  
 
Selected from a record 605 school nominees — a group that was then narrowed to 161 nominees by conference offices — the Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. All have demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees competed in 14 sports and studied a broad range of academic majors, including nursing, mechanical engineering, biochemistry, criminal justice, kinesiology, accounting and advertising.
 
"The 30 honorees selected this year excelled in the classroom and in competition while also remaining committed to serving their peers and communities," said Suzette McQueen, chair of the Woman of the Year Selection Committee and senior associate commissioner for external relations and strategic marketing/senior woman administrator at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. "These outstanding women represent the thousands of diverse and talented women competing in college sports each year, and we're proud to recognize their achievements on and off the field."
 
Boensch capped off her illustrious career with a decorated senior season that garnered; D2CCA All-American, CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year, D2CCA First-Team All-Midwest Region, GLIAC Player of the Year, All-GLIAC First-Team and GLIAC All-Defensive Team honors.
 
She led the GVSU to a fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019-20, averaging 19.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game. She finished her career as the all-time leader in blocked shots (295), ranking second in career rebounds (989) and field goal percentage (58.7%), third in points (1,826) and fourth in field goals made (714).

"Cassidy is so deserving of this honor and was the consummate student-athlete," said head women's basketball coach Mike Williams. "She was an incredible player on the court for our program, but the person she was off the court and in the classroom is what really set her apart," added Williams.
 
The selection committee will announce the nine finalists, including three women from each NCAA division, in mid-October. From those finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year. The Top 30 will be celebrated, and the Woman of the Year will be named this fall.