Duke’s Toby Fournier, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Virginia’s Kymora Johnson are among 14 players named to the preseason watch list for one of women’s college basketball’s top individual honors.
The race for one of women’s college basketball’s most prestigious individual honors is officially taking shape, and the Atlantic Coast Conference has three names in the conversation.
Duke’s Toby Fournier, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Virginia’s Kymora Johnson have been selected to the 2026-27 Wade Trophy Watch List, joining 11 other players from across the country.
The 14-player list recognizes some of the nation’s top talent heading into the season and serves as an early look at the players expected to make an impact in the national player-of-the-year conversation.
For the ACC, having three representatives from three different programs adds another layer of intrigue to a conference already filled with competitive matchups and established talent.
Three ACC Players to Watch
Toby Fournier | Duke
Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-2
Class: Junior
Fournier represents Duke on this year's list. The 6-foot-2 junior forward gives the Blue Devils a presence in the frontcourt as she enters another season of competition.
Her selection puts Duke among the programs represented in the early Wade Trophy conversation.
Duke's Toby Fournier
Hannah Hidalgo | Notre Dame
Position: Guard
Height: 5-foot-7
Class: Senior
Hidalgo is Notre Dame’s representative and one of the three ACC guards named to the watch list.
The 5-foot-7 senior enters the season among the players being recognized nationally for their potential to compete for one of the sport’s biggest individual honors. Her inclusion also keeps Notre Dame in the spotlight as the Fighting Irish pursue another strong campaign.
Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo
Kymora Johnson | Virginia
Position: Guard
Height: 5-foot-7
Class: Senior
Johnson rounds out the ACC contingent, earning a place on the list as a senior guard for Virginia.
Her selection is another national recognition for the Cavaliers, giving Virginia a representative in the early-season conversation surrounding the Wade Trophy.
Virginia's Kymora Johnson represent the ACC on the 2026-27 Wade Trophy Watch List.
Who Else Made the 2026-27 Wade Trophy Watch List?
The ACC is not alone in sending talent to the watch list. The 14 selections include players from several major women's basketball programs, with representation across the guard, forward and center positions.
Complete Watch List
Mikayla Blakes — Vanderbilt | Guard | 5-foot-8 | Junior
Madison Booker — Texas | Forward | 6-foot-1 | Senior
Jaloni Cambridge — Ohio State | Guard | 5-foot-7 | Junior
Aaliyah Chavez — Oklahoma | Guard | 5-foot-10 | Sophomore
Audi Crooks — Oklahoma State | Center | 6-foot-3 | Senior
Joyce Edwards — South Carolina | Forward | 6-foot-3 | Junior
Toby Fournier — Duke | Forward | 6-foot-2 | Junior
Hannah Hidalgo — Notre Dame | Guard | 5-foot-7 | Senior
Kymora Johnson — Virginia | Guard | 5-foot-7 | Senior
Liv McGill — Oklahoma State | Guard | 5-foot-9 | Junior
Olivia Olson — Michigan | Guard | 6-foot-1 | Junior
Clara Strack — Kentucky | Center | 6-foot-5 | Senior
Sarah Strong — Connecticut | Forward | 6-foot-2 | Junior
JuJu Watkins — USC | Guard | 6-foot-2 | Senior
Mikaylah Williams — LSU | Guard | 6-foot-0 | Senior
What the Wade Trophy Watch List Really Means
Being named to the Wade Trophy Watch List is an important early-season distinction, but it is not a finalist announcement or a guarantee of winning the award.
The list is assembled by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division I Awards Committee. Committee members will revisit the candidates at midseason and may add players based on their performances during the first half of the 2026-27 season.
That means the conversation is far from over. Players who are not currently listed still have an opportunity to make their case as the season progresses.
The watch list also gives fans an early group of players to follow as individual performances, team success and the national postseason picture begin to take shape.
The Road to the Wade Trophy
The Wade Trophy winner will be announced in April during the 2027 WBCA Convention in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus will also host the 2027 NCAA Women's Final Four.
For the ACC, Fournier, Hidalgo and Johnson will carry their programs into the national conversation as the season unfolds. Their selections offer an early spotlight, but the next several months will determine who separates herself from the rest of the field.
The watch list is set. Now comes the work of turning preseason recognition into a season worth remembering.
Source: Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), 2026-27 Wade Trophy Watch List.
