ATLANTA (March 7, 2023) — Cheryl Coward, founder of the Hoopfeed.com website, and Danny Davis, University of Texas beat writer at the Austin American-Statesmen newspaper, are the recipients of the 2023 WBCA Mel Greenberg Media Awards, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced today.
Coward receives the National Award which has been presented annually since 1991. Davis receives the new Community Award that began in 2022 and is presented on a recurring basis to an individual who is a media ambassador for women’s and girls’ basketball on a local level in areas where the WBCA Convention, which is held in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four, takes place.
“I am pleased to announce Cheryl Coward and Daniel Davis as this year’s respective recipients of the WBCA Mel Greenberg National and Community Media Awards,” said Danielle Donehew, executive director of the WBCA. “Cheryl and Danny’s efforts to preserve, promote and protect the priceless stories that make up our game’s historical narrative have strengthened the sport. The WBCA salutes them both for their contributions of time and talent to advance women’s basketball.”
“It’s a delight to see Cheryl receive the national media award,” said Greenberg, the preeminent name in women’s basketball coverage for whom the award is named, and who received the inaugural award in 1991. “Back before many more women’s websites developed and beyond what we received from The Associated Press reports, Cheryl was our go-to as a one-woman newswire with Hoopfeed. She often fed us information far ahead of the news surfacing elsewhere. We’ve also known her to be an individual of journalistic integrity.
“Danny is the principal writer at the Austin American-Statesman covering the Texas Longhorns, one of the all-time programs in the history of the AP Poll. The fact that several individuals in Austin, aware of this new award, offered Danny as a candidate speaks well of his service to the community and makes him a worthy recipient of the new community media award.
“Congratulations to both Cheryl and Danny are in order.”
Coward, a longtime writer, established Hoopfeed.com in 2007 and was an early adopter of using social media to reach fans with the latest news about women’s basketball. Hoopfeed covers several aspects of the sport on the college, pro and Olympic level. Her writing career spans several decades. She began her career as a journalist in Washington, D.C. Her previous positions include chief of research at the Village Voice, and her writing has appeared in numerous publications including Black Enterprise, Essence, and the Guardian. She has also written creative works including a novel, short stories, and plays. She is a graduate of Smith College, the birthplace of women’s basketball.
“I am honored to receive an award named after Mel Greenberg, a living icon who welcomed me into the world of women’s basketball media with goodwill and generosity,” said Coward. “I also feel privileged to be in the company of so many remarkable trailblazers in women’s basketball coverage. The award has special meaning for me as someone who built a media outlet from the ground up to highlight a sport I love.”
Davis is a 2007 graduate of the University of Montana who is approaching his 16-year work anniversary at the Austin American-Statesman. Over his years at the Statesman, he has been a strong advocate of coverage for the girls and women’s athletic teams in the Austin area. Davis has covered various programs at the University of Texas for the past seven years and this is his fourth year on the women’s basketball beat. He is among the journalists who vote for the AP poll and Naismith awards.
“This award is a true blessing. I am grateful that the WBCA even considered me,” said Davis. “It is an honor to both be recognized alongside Cheryl and to have my name associated with Mel, Charles Hallman and the national recipients who came before me.”
The Mel Greenberg Media Award is named in honor of the Philadelphia Inquirer sportswriter who founded The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll and is presented annually to a member of the media or sports communications professional who has best displayed a commitment to women’s basketball and to advancing the role of the media in the women’s game. Selected by past recipients of the award, the candidate must have made a positive impact on the growth and public exposure — regional or national — of the sport, been involved in the media exposure of women’s basketball for a minimum of five years and should be a media ambassador for the women’s game.
