Gonzaga’s Jill Barta in running for Cheryl Miller Award

Gonzaga forward Jill Barta is one of 20 candidates for the inaugural Cheryl Miller Award given to the top small forward in Division I women’s basketball, it was announced Thursday.

Barta, a redshirt junior, is a two-time West Coast Conference first-team selection. Last season, she averaged a team-high 16.8 points per game, which ranked fourth in the league and 92nd in the NCAA.

Barta, from Fairfield, Montana, averaged six rebounds per game, 13th in the WCC.

Barta and UCLA forward Kennedy Burke are the only players from the West region selected.

The award is managed by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today.

The winner will be announced during ESPN2’s telecast of the national semifinal games in the 2018 NCAA Women’s Final Four in Columbus, Ohio on March 30.

Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award, the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard Award, the Katrina McClain Power Forward Award, and the Lisa Leslie Center Award, as well as the Wade Trophy, the sport’s oldest and most prestigious national player of the year award.