KINGSTON, R.I. -- Rhode Island women's basketball recent grad Sophie Phillips was one of the 13 nominees put up for the NCAA Woman of the Year award, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon.
 

Each of the candidates has been recognized for their leadership skills, academic prowess, exceptional athletic success and for their community service. These individuals have noteworthy credentials, garnering All-Conference awards, postseason championship participation and national and A-10 academic honors. The league's Senior Woman Administrators will vote on the nominees to select two student-athletes who will be named A-10 Woman of the Year and represent the league as 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year conference finalists.

Phillips was a four-year member of the women's basketball team and a two-year team captain. The Greenwich, N.Y. native is the program's all-time leader in 3-point baskets (238) and is only women's player to make 200 in her career. She also holds the program records for 3-pointers in a season (89) and in a single game (7). 

Phillips helped the Rams to one of their most successful seasons in 2022-23, leading URI to the regular-season Atlantic 10 title, the first in program history, and back-to-back postseason appearances (2022, 2023) in the WNIT. She was named to the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference team twice, and was a URI Speaker of the House Award recipient. 

In the classroom, Phillips made the Dean's List all four years and graduated with her Master's this past spring. 

One of the most prestigious NCAA awards, the Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to celebrate the achievements of women in intercollegiate athletics. Now in its 34th year, the NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female college athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers. Per the NCAA, all conference-level nominees are advanced to the Woman of the Year selection committee. The selection committee will choose the top 10 honorees in each division. From among those 30 honorees, the selection committee will determine the three finalists in each division. Finally, the members of the Committee on Women's Athletics will vote from among the top nine finalists to determine the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year. The top 30 honorees will be honored, and the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year winner will be announced this fall.