Indianapolis, Ind. – Former SWOSU Women's Basketball standout Hailey Tucker, who played in Weatherford from 2015-19, has been nominated for the NCAA Division II 50th Anniversary Gold Award.
 
This award, which is part of the division's yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, will recognize two individuals who have made a positive impact in Division II. The nominees include current and former student-athletes, coaches, faculty members and administrators from active member schools and conferences who have helped shape Division II over time.
 
Tucker is one of 10 nominees from the Great American conference and in a pool of 231 total nominations across all of Division II.
 
As a senior, Tucker was one of nine finalists for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award that began from 585 original nominations. You can review her Woman of the Year journey from 2019 here.
 
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 addition to her excellence on the court, Tucker was named a Second Team Academic All-American as a senior and she graduated from SWOSU in May with a 3.91 grade point average, majoring in Mass Communications with a minor in Sports Management. During her time in Weatherford, Tucker began preparing for a career in Sportscasting by working as the sideline reporter for Bulldog Football games and volunteering as a content specialist for SWOSU Athletics, with her work featured on SWOSUAthletics.com and social media outlets. Prior to transitioning to her off the court career, she traveled to Sweden for a professional playing career with Visby Ladies.
 
Present day, Hailey is a Chief Investigative Reporter & Anchor for KWCH 12 News in Wichita, Kansas. She continues to assist her alma mater with appearances at alumni events representing SWOSU Athletics and has performed additional broadcasting color commentary duties during the GAC's annual postseason conference basketball tournament. Her latest contribution to the athletic department came just this past summer when she emceed for the annual Athletic Auction which helped raised over $165,000 for SWOSU student-athletes.
 
Conference offices will review the nominated individuals and select two conference winners by Nov. 6. The NCAA Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee will review the finalists and select the two overall winners, who will be recognized at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix.
 
To learn more about Division II's 50th anniversary celebration, visit ncaa.org/dii50.