There are dozens of great players across the country, and it's difficult to narrow down the list of Wade Trophy candidates.

	Taurasi

	Beard

But if you're really talking about the elite of the elite, this is really a two-player race between Duke's Alana Beard and Connecticut's Diana Taurasi.

While LaToya Thomas of Mississippi State should also be considered one of the top three players in the nation, the three-time Kodak All-American who has dominated the SEC since her freshman season still is best classified as an unsung hero. She's unstoppable, but she never gets on TV. And Mississippi State, though ranked, probably won't win the national championship.

That's obviously not a requirement to win this award; the Wade Trophy honors the best player in women's basketball. But the award has traditionally been given to a player competing on one of the teams in the NCAA title game, or another team at the Final Four.

Past winners of the award -- players such as Cheryl Miller, Kamie Ethridge, Teresa Weatherspoon, Rebecca Lobo, Jen Rizzotti, Ticha Penicheiro, Jackie Stiles and Sue Bird -- were incredibly talented and helped their teams achieve a high level of success. Stiles could have averaged 35 points per game her senior year, but if Southwest Missouri State didn't reach the NCAA Tournament, she most likely wouldn't have won the award in 2001. Being the best player in the country also means making your team better and elevating your program.

HIGHLY UNDERRATED AT HOUSTON

One player who has been largely overlooked on the national scene is Houston's Chandi Jones. Will she win the Wade Trophy? Probably not. But the 5-foot-10 junior guard/forward, who leads the nation in scoring this week with a 27.4 average, should be among the top 12 candidates. From the time she first arrived on campus, Jones has been a cut above. She was the nation's highest-scoring freshman in 2000-01, despite missing the final nine games of the season after she tore her ACL. Jones then returned last season and captured the C-USA player-of-the-year honors. Jones works hard on both ends and has a full-court game. She can take you off the dribble, is very explosive and has a really nice outside shot. Jones also comes up big when the game is on the line. Some players get their points when the game is already decided, but Jones scores her points when the game means something, when it's in the balance and going back and forth.

Beard and Taurasi do those things on a daily basis, and as a result, both the second-ranked Blue Devils and unbeaten and No. 1 Huskies are national championship contenders.

On paper, Beard and Taurasi are pretty even. They are both gamers who play hard from whistle to whistle. Beard is the better defender, Taurasi the better passer. Taurasi has more range on her shot, but Beard seems to be the better slasher. They both rebound well and come up even in that category, but nobody is a better defender than Beard.

But while she is an amazing player, and boasts better stats than Taurasi, Beard has a lot more help and experienced players around her at Duke than Taurasi does at UConn. Every major player from last season's Final Four run returned to the Blue Devils this season, and although they lost Monique Curry to injury, Beard's teammates still include All-American candidate Iciss Tillis and a pair of very savvy seniors.

Taurasi, on the other hand, had had to take a bunch of young players - freshmen as well as those returning players who didn't see a lot of on-court minutes last year -- and show them the way. Taurasi is counted on to do more for her team, leading them statistically and emotionally.

Taurasi's efforts are even more outstanding considering the Huskies have no seniors. And after graduating four starters, UConn desperately needed a vocal leader. Taurasi has filled that role. She is a vocal, wonderfully aggressive leader who has given these young players confidence.

As a result, UConn is 25-0 and riding an NCAA Division I women's record 64-game winning streak. The Huskies also top both top-25 polls, and Taurasi should be the top candidate in the Wade Trophy race and to join this elite sorority of players.

Nancy Lieberman, an ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com's women's basketball coverage. Contact her at www.nancylieberman.com.