FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (February 9, 2021) – Looking to honor those who excel in the community, classroom, competition and in character, the Senior CLASS Award named 30 NCAA Division I women's basketball players as candidates.
NAU senior
Khiarica Rasheed landed among the group, just the third Lumberjack to be named as a candidate for the award across the 10 sports included and the first since Cameron Jones became a finalist in 2011.
"It is really exciting that our players and program are being recognized at the national level," said NAU head coach
Loree Payne.
The Senior CLASS Award, standing for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, focuses on student-athletes' achievements on and off the court, as it encourages them to use their platform to make a positive impact in their communities.
Naturally, Rasheed fits right into the spirit of the honor.
A three-time Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award recipient from NAU, as well as a three-time Big Sky All-Academic selection, Rasheed has excelled in the classroom during her Lumberjack career. Her efforts in the classroom have contributed to the team ranking in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll in each of the past two years.
On the court, Rasheed's accomplishments are undeniable, as the senior now ranks fourth all-time on NAU's scoring list, fifth in rebounding, fifth in field goals made and third in free-throws made.
Named the Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the fourth time in her career on Monday, Rasheed earned the Big Sky Conference Preseason MVP entering the 2020-21 season. Earning All-Big Sky First Team honors as a junior, Rasheed's 513 points last year ranked fourth all-time in a single season. A dominant presence in the paint, Rasheed's 136 free-throws made and 177 free-throws attempted ranked second and third in a single season respectively.
However, most impactful has been Rasheed's work away from the sport. An outspoken member of the program, Rasheed has been a consistent presence in NAU's push against social injustices and racial inequality. Through videos supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and the use of the right to vote, a Unity March through campus on Election Day and a social media campaign to highlight victims of police brutality and racial injustice, Rasheed has used her platform as a Division I athlete to better the Flagstaff community and our society as a whole.
Rasheed also helped inspire the team to read On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope by DeRay Mckesson, generating group activities and discussions as a team through their reading. The senior has expressed that this work is what she is most proud of during her time at NAU and hopes to leave a legacy others will follow upon her graduation.
The group of 30 candidates will be trimmed down to 10 student-athletes near the end of February. From there, the 10 finalists are placed on a ballot sent nationwide to media, coaches and fans. The winner will then be selected during the 2021 NCAA Final Four in San Antonio.
Past finalists include Cheryl Ford, Diana Turasi and Lindsay Whalen while winners include Seimone Augustus, Alana Beard, Sue Bird, Elena Delle Donne, Sabrina Ionescu, Maya Moore, Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart and Candice Wiggins.
For the full list of candidates in both men's and women's basketball, or to learn more about the award, visit the
Senior CLASS Award website.
