Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
Lauren Betts Named to Preseason Watchlist for 2026 Lisa Leslie Award
October 31, 2025 | Women's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. โ Defending Lisa Leslie Center of the Year (2025) Lauren Betts headlines the 20-candidate preseason watch list for the 2026 positional award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced Friday.
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The Lisa Leslie Award, now in its ninth year, recognizes the top center in Division I women's college basketball.
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Betts โ a 2024-25 Associated Press (AP) first-team All-American โ was named to the AP preseason All-America team on Oct. 21. An anchor for UCLA's defensive efforts, the Bruin center earned herself unanimous Defensive Player of the Year as voted by Big Ten coaches in 2024-25. She was the first Bruin with 600+ points, 300+ rebounds, 100+ blocks in a season when her junior campaign completed; Betts also set a new single-season blocks record with her 100 rejections last year and captured the UCLA single-game blocks record with nine against No. 25 Baylor at the Coretta Scott King Classic. The team's leading scorer (20.2 PPG) marked a new career-high with 33 points at No. 8 Maryland, one of four games in which she scored 30+ points. She swept the national Defensive Player of the Year awards (AP, Naismith, WBCA) and was the first UCLA women's basketball player to earn AP First Team All-America honors.
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Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting today, Friday, October 31. In early February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards will be narrowed to 10, and then in early March, to just five. Later in March, the five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar, Leslie, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
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The winner of the 2026 Abdul-Jabbar and Leslie Awards will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), and the Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward).
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For more information on the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu, #KareemAward, and #LeslieAward on X and Instagram.
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2026 Lisa Leslie Award Candidates
Lara Rohkohl โ BYU
Sakima Walker โ Cal
Audi Crooks โ Iowa State
Clara Strack โ Kentucky
Laura Ziegler โ Louisville
Kate Koval โ LSU
Ra Shayla Kyle โ Miami
Ashley Sofikanich โ Michigan
Tilda Trygger โ NC State
Megan Nestor โ North Texas
Raegan Beers โ Oklahoma
Gracie Merkle โ Penn State
Madina Okot โ South Carolina
Brooklyn Meyer โ South Dakota State
Kennedy Umey โ Stanford
Breya Cunningham โ Texas
Lauren Ware โ Texas A&M
Lauren Betts โ UCLA
Serah Williams โ UConn
Aalyah Del Rosario โ Vanderbilt
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The Lisa Leslie Award, now in its ninth year, recognizes the top center in Division I women's college basketball.
ย
Betts โ a 2024-25 Associated Press (AP) first-team All-American โ was named to the AP preseason All-America team on Oct. 21. An anchor for UCLA's defensive efforts, the Bruin center earned herself unanimous Defensive Player of the Year as voted by Big Ten coaches in 2024-25. She was the first Bruin with 600+ points, 300+ rebounds, 100+ blocks in a season when her junior campaign completed; Betts also set a new single-season blocks record with her 100 rejections last year and captured the UCLA single-game blocks record with nine against No. 25 Baylor at the Coretta Scott King Classic. The team's leading scorer (20.2 PPG) marked a new career-high with 33 points at No. 8 Maryland, one of four games in which she scored 30+ points. She swept the national Defensive Player of the Year awards (AP, Naismith, WBCA) and was the first UCLA women's basketball player to earn AP First Team All-America honors.
ย
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting today, Friday, October 31. In early February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards will be narrowed to 10, and then in early March, to just five. Later in March, the five finalists will be presented to Abdul-Jabbar, Leslie, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
ย
The winner of the 2026 Abdul-Jabbar and Leslie Awards will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), and the Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward).
ย
For more information on the 2026 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu, #KareemAward, and #LeslieAward on X and Instagram.
ย
2026 Lisa Leslie Award Candidates
Lara Rohkohl โ BYU
Sakima Walker โ Cal
Audi Crooks โ Iowa State
Clara Strack โ Kentucky
Laura Ziegler โ Louisville
Kate Koval โ LSU
Ra Shayla Kyle โ Miami
Ashley Sofikanich โ Michigan
Tilda Trygger โ NC State
Megan Nestor โ North Texas
Raegan Beers โ Oklahoma
Gracie Merkle โ Penn State
Madina Okot โ South Carolina
Brooklyn Meyer โ South Dakota State
Kennedy Umey โ Stanford
Breya Cunningham โ Texas
Lauren Ware โ Texas A&M
Lauren Betts โ UCLA
Serah Williams โ UConn
Aalyah Del Rosario โ Vanderbilt
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