CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Atlantic Coast Conference nominees Virginia’s Natasha Subhash (Tennis) and Duke’s Jala Wright (Softball) are among the Top 30 honorees for the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year Award as announced by the NCAA on Wednesday.
The NCAA Woman of the Year award established in 1991 honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service, and leadership.
“We are so proud of Natasha and Jala as their selection to the NCAA Top 30 Woman of the Year is well-deserved and speaks volumes about the incredible female student-athletes in this league,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “We look forward to celebrating Natasha and Jala as part of January’s NCAA Convention and applaud their incredible achievements in the classroom, community and competitively.”
From the Top 30, three finalists from each NCAA division will be named. The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics will then select the 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year from among the nine total finalists.
Subhash graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelor's degree in commerce, and most recently with a master's degree in accounting last May.
During her time at UVA, Subhash achieved numerous academic and athletic honors. She was recognized as a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree, a five-time ITA Scholar-Athlete, a five-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member, and a three-time recipient of UVA's Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. She was also awarded the 2023 Walter B. Doggett Accounting Award from the McIntire School of Commerce for her exceptional academic performance in accounting.
Subhash made significant contributions to the UVA women's tennis program. She concluded her career as a four-time ITA All-American and received the 2022 Ralph Sampson Scholarship Award for demonstrating excellence in academics, leadership, and athletics. Subhash also received national recognition, being named the National Freshman of the Year in 2020 and receiving the 2023 Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award.
On the tennis court, she achieved the third-highest number of singles victories (117), the fourth-highest number of doubles wins (111), and the fourth-highest combined singles and doubles wins (228) in the history of the Virginia women's tennis program. Additionally, she won the ITA Atlantic Region Singles Championship twice and the 2023 ITA Atlantic Regional Doubles Championship with her partner, Hibah Shaikh.
Outside of athletics, Subhash was actively involved in the UVA community. She served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, participated in the Student-Athlete Leadership Academy, and volunteered with programs such as the ACE Program, Madison House, and the Xperience Special Olympics Tennis Clinic. Furthermore, she mentored student-athletes in the McIntire School of Commerce.
Duke’s Wright graduated this past spring with a degree in sociology and a minor in journalism and media studies, all while she made significant contributions to the Blue Devils’ softball program.
Wright's accomplishments included being a 2024 CSC Academic All-American and a four-time NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete selection. She was a three-time All-ACC Academic Team member and was named to the All-ACC Academic Honor Roll three times.
In her final season at Duke last year, Wright had an outstanding year in the circle for the Blue Devils, finishing with a 19-3 record and a 1.50 ERA. She also led the Blue Devils' pitching staff in innings pitched, appearances, and strikeouts. Wright's exceptional performance led to her being unanimously voted ACC Pitcher of the Year and earning ACC Tournament MVP.
As a 2024 NFCA, Softball America, and D1Softball All-American, Wright was instrumental in Duke's success, helping the team win its second ACC Championship and make its third straight NCAA Super Regional appearance, ultimately advancing to the Women's College World Series for the first time last season.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native was a member of the United Black Athletes, Purpose4Living, and a community service liaison for Team Impact. She also worked as a mentor for the Chasing Greatness Mentorship Program and participated in the Rubenstein-Bing Civic Engagement Program (ACE), completing a three-week service opportunity in Costa Rica in 2023.
Wright served as the program director for Project Preseason, an orientation event for incoming first-year student-athletes at Duke. She also completed an internship with Softball America and served as a freelance writer for the publication during her time as a Blue Devil.
Subhash and Wright emerged as the ACC’s 2024 NCAA Woman of the Year candidates following a vote of the league’s member schools. The strong list of 16 nominees from league member institutions is included below and is reflective of the 15 member institutions from the 2023-24 academic year.
Name, Sport, School
Kayla Martello, Lacrosse, Boston College
Brianna Smith, Outdoor Track & Field, Duke
Jala Wright, Softball, Duke
Mallorie Black, Softball, Georgia Tech
Carol Lee, Tennis, Georgia Tech
Anna DeBeer, Volleyball, Louisville
Sara Byrne, Golf, Miami
Alexa Noel, Tennis, Miami
Dorrit Eisenbeis, Field Hockey, North Carolina
Kelsey Chmiel, Cross Country, NC State
Jadin O’Brien, Track & Field, Notre Dame
Chiamaka Nwokolo, Volleyball, Pitt
Eefke van den Nieuwenhof, Field Hockey, Syracuse
Natasha Subhash, Tennis, Virginia
Alex Walsh, Swimming & Diving, Virginia
Rachel Kuehn, Golf, Wake Forest
To learn more about the award program and previous winners, visit ncaa.org/woty.