INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected 50 standout women's college basketball players for its 2024-25 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch List. Members of the association's board of directors chose the players for consideration for the National Player of the Year. All Division I players remain eligible for the award.
The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award winner is to be announced at the NCAA Women's Final Four in Tampa, from April 4-6. The formal presentation of the trophy will follow at the annual USBWA Awards Luncheon hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
Following is the complete watch list:
- Destiny Adams, Rutgers
- Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
- Julia Ayrault, Michigan State
- Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
- Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy
- Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
- Lauren Betts, UCLA
- Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
- Madison Booker, Texas
- Paige Bueckers, UConn
- Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State
- Dani Carnegie, Georgia Tech
- Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
- Audi Crooks, Iowa State
- Katie Dinnebier, Drake
- Kara Dunn, Georgia Tech
- Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
- Toby Fournier, Duke
- Rori Harmon, Texas
- Stailee Heard, Oklahoma State
- Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
- Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas
- Aziaha James, NC State
- Jordyn Jenkins, UTSA
- Flau'Jae Johnson, LSU
- Taylor Jones, Texas
- Gianna Kneepkens, Utah
- Ioanna Krimili, Cal
- Grace Larkins, South Dakota
- Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
- Megan McConnell, Duquesne
- Cotie McMahon, Ohio State
- Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
- Aneesah Morrow, LSU
- Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
- Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt
- Sedona Prince, TCU
- Sammie Puisis, South Florida
- JJ Quinerly, West Virginia
- Saniya Rivers, NC State
- Kaylene Smikle, Maryland
- Ashley Sofilkanich, Bucknell
- Sarah Strong, UConn
- Harmoni Turner, Harvard
- Rachel Ullstrom, Richmond
- Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina
- Hailey Van Lith, TCU
- JuJu Watkins, USC
- Riley Weiss, Columbia
- Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph’s
The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award is presented annually to the women's national player of the year by the USBWA. Named for the legendary UCLA guard, the award was first presented in the 1987-88 season and formally named in Meyers Drysdale's honor in the 2011-12 season. Ann Meyers Drysdale played at UCLA from 1974-78, which pre-dates the USBWA All-America selections. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.