SPRINGFIELD, MA– Erynn Barnum of the Arkansas women’s basketball team has been playing the best basketball of her career, which is worthy for national recognition. Barnum has been named to the 2023 Katrina McClain Mid-Season Top 10 List, the award given to the best power forward in the country, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Barnum has started in all 24 games, leading the team in scoring with 16.8 points per game. She also averages 6.8 rebounds per game along with tallying 51 assists, 35 steals and 26 blocks. Her 59.5 field goal percentage has led the SEC for majority of the season, while sitting in the top 16 nationally. She has more than doubled her scoring average and has nearly tripled her assist total from prior seasons, while improving remarkably in nearly every statistical category.
Coming off one of the best performances by any basketball player this season, Barnum went off for a career-high 37 points off 13 field goals, three of which were from beyond the 3-point line to tie a career high. She also added six rebounds, three assists and three steals in that game. Barnum has been averaging 22.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game in the last three outings.
Barnum is the first Razorback to be named to the top 10 list for the Katrina McClain Award. Prior to her senior season, she never scored 20 points in a game, but now Barnum has eight 20+ point games this year. Aside from leading the SEC in field goal percentage, Barnum is also second in free throw attempts (142), seventh in scoring, 11th in rebounding and 14th in blocks in the SEC. Her 403 total points on the season is the 27th most in the country. Barnum has played in 101 career games as a Razorback, earning the start in 34 of those. She is now one of 30 to have pulled down 500+ rebounds in their Arkansas career.
The award is named after two-time All-American and 1987 National Player of the Year Katrina McClain, which recognizes the top power forwards in women’s NCAA Division I basketball. A national committee consisting of top college basketball personnel choose the watch list of 20 candidates.
Fans can vote for their favorite players in the final rounds by taking part in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies. Voting begins on Friday, Feb. 3 on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count toward one committee vote during the finalist selection process. In March, the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.
The winner of the 2023 Katrina McClain Award will be presented with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five on a later date. The other awards that will be presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (point guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (shooting guard), Cheryl Miller Award (small forward) and the Lisa Leslie Award (center).
Arkansas women’s basketball is back in action on Sunday, Feb. 5, as the Razorbacks face Auburn at Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. with the game being broadcast on SEC Network.
2023 Katrina McClain Award Candidates
Esmery Martinez – Arizona
Cate Reese – Arizona
Erynn Barnum – Arkansas
Lauren Gustin – BYU
Aneesah Morrow – DePaul
Angel Reese – LSU
Cameron Brink – Stanford
Aaliyah Edwards – UConn
Alissa Pili – Utah
Maddy Siegrist – Villanova
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point throughout the 2022-23 season
Note to Our Readers: The following story was sourced directly and in its entirety from the University of Arkansas Office of Communications, Kylie Magar.
