INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Great American Conference Female Athlete of the Year Hailey Tucker is one of 148 student-athletes chosen by NCAA conferences who will advance as nominees for the 2019 NCAA Woman of the Year Award. The women were selected from a pool of 585 school nominees.
 
The NCAA Woman of the Year program has recognized graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership since its inception in 1991. The nominees represent college athletes from 20 sorts spanning all three NCAA divisions. Of the nominees, 64 competed in Division I, 33 competed in Division II and 51 competed in Division III.
 
A native of Bartlesville, Tucker became the first four-time First Team All-Great American Conference selection in conference history and she was twice named the GAC Player of the Year. She graduated from SWOSU with 2,360 career points, which is the most in conference history and ranks second in school history. As a senior, she averaged 18.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while leading the Lady Bulldogs to a second consecutive GAC Championship along with a GAC Tournament crown and the program's first Central Regional Championship. Tucker was named First Team All-American by WBCA, Second Team by the Division II Bulletin and Third Team by D2CCA while also earning a Second Team Academic All-American selection as well. During the postseason, she was named to All-Tournament teams at the GAC Tournament, Central Regional Championships and the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. In June, Tucker signed to begin her professional career in Sweden, where she will head in September to play for Visby Ladies.
 
The Top 30 honorees, comprising 10 women from each division, will be named by the Woman of the Year selection committee in September. The selection committee will then narrow the pool to nine finalists — with three from each division — in early October. From those finalists, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics will select the 2019 Woman of the Year.
 
The 2019 Woman of the Year will be named, and the Top 30 honorees will be celebrated, at the annual banquet Oct. 20 in Indianapolis.