Four Bruins Named to Naismith Trophy Girls’s College Player of the Year Watch Listing

LOS ANGELES – Four Bruins have been included within the 50-person 2025-26 Jersey Mikes Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year preseason watch listing, the Naismith Awards introduced Thursday.

Guards Gianna Kneepkens, Charlisse Leger-Walker and Kiki Rice be part of middle Lauren Betts on the preseason listing, marking essentially the most student-athletes included from a single establishment.

Kneepkens and Leger-Walker will swimsuit up for the Bruins for the primary time in 2025-26 after transferring from Utah and Washington State, respectively. During her senior season in 2024-25, Kneepkens averaged 19.3 factors, 5.0 rebounds, 3.03 assists and 1.03 steals per sport; the capturing guard was ultra-efficient and shot 50.4 % from the sphere, 44.8 % from three and 89.0 % from the free throw line. Leger-Walker – in Washington State’s all-time profession report books – completed third in profession factors (1,743), fourth in factors per sport (16.6), fifth in made subject targets (607), second in made threes (199), fifth in made free throws (330), and fourth in assists (389).

Betts and Rice head into their senior season with the Bruins after a historic 2024-25 marketing campaign; Betts set new program data for single-game blocks (9 vs. Baylor, 1/20/25) and single-season blocks (100 BLK) whereas capturing a program-best 64.8 % from the sphere. Rice tallied a Big Ten-leading 170 assists, making her one in all eight Bruins to have three or extra seasons with 100+ assists, and shot career-bests from the ground (.485 FG%) and from lengthy vary (.365 3FG%). Betts was named UCLA’s first Associated Press First Team All-American, and Rice was honorable point out for the AP postseason All-America group.

Kneepkens was named to the 20-person preseason watch listing for the 2026 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, and Rice was tabbed for the 2026 Nancy Lieberman Award watch listing; Betts is the defending Lisa Leslie Center of the Year.

2025-26 Jersey Mikes Naismith Trophy Women’s College
Nunu Agara – Stanford
Raegan Beers – Oklahoma
Lauren Betts – UCLA
Mikayla Blakes – Vanderbilt
Madison Booker – Texas
Zoe Brooks – NC State
Addy Brown – Iowa State
Jaloni Cambridge – Ohio State
Aaliyah Chavez – Oklahoma
Talaysia Cooper – Tennessee
Audi Crooks – Iowa State
Jazzy Davidson – USC
Maggie Doogan – Richmond
Joyce Edwards – South Carolina
Skylar Forbes – Marquette
Toby Fournier – Duke
Azzi Fudd – UConn
MiLaysia Fulwiley – LSU
Yarden Garzon – Maryland
Delaney Gibb – BYU
Rori Harmon – Texas
Stailee Heard – Oklahoma State
Hannah Hidalgo – Notre Dame
Ashlon Jackson – Duke
Flau’Jae Johnson – LSU
Raven Johnson – South Carolina
Kymora Johnson – Virginia
Reniya Kelly – North Carolina
Gianna Kneepkens – UCLA
Ta’Niya Latson – South Carolina
Charlisse Leger-Walker – UCLA
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs – Baylor
Cotie McMahon – Ole Miss
Olivia Miles – TCU
S’Mya Nichols – Kansas
Olivia Olson – Michigan
Khamil Pierre – NC State
Kiki Rice – UCLA
Tajianna Roberts – Louisville
Kaylene Smikle – Maryland
Kennedy Smith – USC
Clara Strack – Kentucky
Sarah Strong – UConn
Hannah Stuelke – Iowa
Syla Swords – Michigan
Grace VanSlooten – Michigan State
Payton Verhulst – Oklahoma
Mikaylah Williams – LSU
Serah Williams – UConn
Laura Ziegler – Louisville