Ziegler Shines Bright on Becky Hammon’s Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist!

BLACKWELL, N.J. — Laura Ziegler has been selected for the 15-player midseason watch list for the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award as announced by organization officials on Wednesday morning.
 
This year’s midseason roster features representatives from 15 teams across 10 conferences. Five conferences – the A-10, MEAC, Mountain West, Missouri Valley, and Summit League – have two players each on the watch list.
 
Ziegler registers an average of 17.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game while providing 70 assists and blocking 16 shots in the first 16 games of the season – all of which are team-highs. The junior hailing from Herlev, Denmark has achieved double-digit scoring in every game this year and is ranked second nationally with 11 double-doubles. Ziegler became the first Hawk in almost 40 years to achieve a triple-double, accomplishing two within a 24-day span.
 
The forward is fourth nationally, averaging 11.5 rebounds per game, and leads the nation with 9.6 defensive rebounds per game. Ziegler is currently achieving career-best statistics in points, rebounds, and assists per game while posting her highest shooting percentages from long range (37.0%) and at the free throw line (93.8%). She has recorded four games with over 20 points, including a career-high of 30 points in a victory over Southern Utah earlier this season. Additionally, Ziegler established a career-high with 17 rebounds against La Salle earlier in conference play, along with reaching double-digit assists twice in the non-conference games.
 
Award Eligibility & Schedule
To qualify for this award, players must participate in one of the 26 conferences categorized as “mid-major.” The following conferences are classified as high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Furthermore, players from Oregon State and Washington State are disqualified this year as the Pac-12 Conference transitions.
 
The preseason watch list, featuring 25 players, was released in October, and 10 semifinalists will be announced in February. The five finalists will be revealed in early March, with the winner declared around the time of the Final Four. The list is dynamic, and players may move on or off based on their performance throughout the season.
 
About Becky Hammon
Hammon was a three-time All-American at Colorado State and guided the Rams to the Sweet 16 in 1999, marking the program’s only appearance to date. She was acquired by the New York Liberty in 1999 and traded to the San Antonio Stars in 2007, where she completed her career. Hammon retired in 2014 as a six-time All-Star and a two-time All-WNBA First Team selection. In 2016, she was honored as one of the top 20 players in WNBA history and was recently recognized on the W25 list.
 
Hammon became the second woman to serve as a coach in NBA history when she began coaching for the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. Moreover, she is the only woman to hold the position of head coach in the NBA Summer League and the only female to be part of an NBA All-Star coaching staff. Currently, Hammon is leading the Las Vegas Aces as their head coach and claimed the WNBA Championships in 2022 and 2023.