ATLANTA  -  Cal senior Kristine Anigwe has been announced as one of four finalists for the 2019 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year presented by Bona, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Tuesday. The 2019 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Anigwe leads the nation in rebounding this season at 16.3 rebounds per game while also averaging 1.8 blocked shots per game on the year. Other finalists include Baylor's Lauren Cox, Purdue's Ae'rianna Harris, and Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan.

 The 2019 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year presented by Bona will be announced on April 5, 2019. The four finalists were chosen by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's board of selectors, comprised of leading journalists from around the country, who based their selections on outstanding on-court defensive performances during the 2018-19 college basketball season.

The first player in program history to be named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Anigwe leads the nation in rebounding this season at 16.3 rebounds per game – nearly three rebounds per game ahead of any other player, male or female, in Division I basketball. Anigwe's 506 total rebounds this year mark the third-highest single-season total in Pac-12 history and are tied for 10^th all-time in the history of women's Division I basketball.

Along with her dominance on the glass, Anigwe has proven her ability to guard multiple positions, averaging 1.8 blocks and 1.0 steals per game on the season. A four-time All-Pac-12 Selection, Anigwe became Cal's career blocked shots leader with three rejections in Cal's opening win over Washington State at the 2019 Pac-12 Tournament and followed it up with three blocks, three steals, and 14 rebounds in the quarterfinals against No. 7 Stanford. Anigwe's 203 career blocked shots are tied for 11^th all-time in conference history. Anigwe also holds Cal's career scoring (2,560 points) and rebounding (1,377 rebounds) records and ranks in the top five in conference history in both categories.

A finalist for the Wade Trophy, Naismith, and John R. Wooden National Player of the Year awards, Anigwe has been a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor. The 6'4" Phoenix, Arizona product ranks seventh in the nation in scoring at 22.9 points per game this season and is the only player in Division I basketball, men's or women's, to record a double-double in every game this season. Anigwe has a streak of 32 consecutive double-doubles dating back to the end of the 2017-18 campaign, the longest active streak in the nation and the fourth-longest in Division I women's basketball history.

Anigwe's 30^th consecutive double-double, which set a new Pac-12 best, came in historic fashion in Cal's regular season finale at Washington State. Anigwe went off for 32 points and 30 rebounds in 35 minutes of action, becoming the first Pac-12 player to ever record 30 points and 30 rebounds in the same game and the first player in the nation with a 30-30 performance since 2002.

As it stands, Anigwe is on pace to become the first Division I basketball player in over 20 seasons – male or female – to average over 22 points per game and over 16 rebounds per game in a single season.

Anigwe and the Golden Bears look to hear their names called on Monday afternoon when the field for the 2019 Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament is revealed on Selection Monday. Cal is looking to make its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament and 14^th overall in program history.  

For more information and updates on the Golden Bears throughout the season, follow the team on Twitter (@CalWBball), Instagram (@CalWBball) and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWBball).