The Atlantic Coast Conference has 11 players on the 2026-27 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Watch List, with established stars, elite scorers and a highly touted freshman representing the league.
The ACC is making sure its talent is part of the national conversation before the 2026-27 women’s college basketball season even gets rolling.
The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced its 50-player Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Watch List on Thursday, Oct. 29, and 11 ACC standouts made the cut. The group features players from nine conference programs, with NC State and Louisville each placing two players on the list.
Virginia’s Kymora Johnson headlines a talented group that includes Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, Duke’s Toby Fournier, NC State’s Zoe Brooks and Khamil Pierre, and California’s long-range threat Lulu Twidale. Louisville’s Imari Berry and Tajianna Roberts, Syracuse’s Uche Izoje, Georgia Tech’s Talayah Walker and North Carolina freshman Kate Harpring round out the conference’s representatives.
The Naismith Trophy, named for basketball creator Dr. James Naismith, is one of the sport’s most prestigious individual honors. The women’s award was first presented in 1983, and Virginia’s Dawn Staley remains the only Cavalier to win it, claiming the honor in 1991 and 1992.
For the ACC, this watch list is more than a collection of names. It is an early snapshot of the players expected to influence the national championship conversation, lead their teams through conference play and turn big performances into national recognition.
Meet the ACC’s 11 Naismith Trophy Watch List Selections
Kymora Johnson, Virginia Cavaliers
Johnson returns to the watch list for the second consecutive season after delivering one of the most productive campaigns in the country.
The Preseason All-ACC selection averaged 19.5 points, 5.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game in 2025-26. She was one of only three NCAA Division I players to average at least 19 points and 5.5 assists per game.
Her impact was especially evident in March. Johnson averaged 22 points, 5.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds during Virginia’s NCAA Tournament run, helping the Cavaliers reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 26 years. Virginia also made history as the first team to advance to the Sweet Sixteen after beginning its tournament journey in the First Four.
Johnson set Virginia records for three-pointers in a game (10), a season (103) and a career (231). Her 41-point performance against Winthrop was the second-highest single-game scoring total in program history, and her 1,725 career points rank ninth in Cavaliers history.
She earned first-team All-ACC honors and WBCA All-America honorable mention recognition last season. The question now is whether Johnson can turn another standout year into a run at the nation’s top individual honor.
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Hidalgo gives Notre Dame one of the country’s most recognizable backcourt threats. The high-energy guard has built her reputation on relentless defensive pressure, playmaking and the ability to turn steals into fast-break opportunities.
Her all-around impact makes her a natural name to watch in a Player of the Year conversation: she can change a game without relying solely on scoring, creating possessions for Notre Dame with her defense while putting pressure on opposing guards.
With the Irish again looking to compete at the highest level, Hidalgo’s ability to control the pace and produce on both ends will be central to their ambitions.
Toby Fournier, Duke Blue Devils
Fournier arrives on the watch list after a dominant sophomore campaign that established her as one of the ACC’s leading frontcourt players.
The Duke forward averaged 17.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 2025-26, leading the Blue Devils in both categories. She scored 624 points, collected 285 rebounds and recorded a team-high 78 blocks across 36 starts. She also posted nine double-doubles.
Fournier’s game combines interior scoring, rebounding and rim protection. She earned third-team All-America recognition from the Associated Press, USBWA and Sporting News, along with first-team All-ACC honors for the second consecutive season.
After helping Duke reach the Elite Eight, Fournier enters the new season with a résumé that places her among the ACC’s most compelling national-award candidates.
Zoe Brooks, NC State Wolfpack
Brooks is back on the watch list after taking another major step forward in her junior season.
The NC State guard averaged career highs of 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game in 2025-26. She also shot 86.8% from the free-throw line and earned first-team All-ACC recognition for the second straight season.
Brooks’ value comes from how many jobs she can handle. She can create her own shot, get teammates involved, pressure the ball defensively and make opposing teams pay at the free-throw line.
Her selection to the Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Top 20 Watch List further underscores her standing among the nation’s top point guards. If Brooks continues building on her career-best numbers, she could become a major factor in the national Player of the Year discussion.
Khamil Pierre, NC State Wolfpack
NC State has a second reason to celebrate: forward Khamil Pierre also earned a place on the list.
Pierre averaged 16.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game in 2025-26, recording 22 double-doubles and collecting 381 rebounds. Her rebounding average ranked among the nation’s best and led the ACC. She earned first-team All-ACC honors after joining the Wolfpack ahead of the season.
Pierre is a difference-maker around the basket. Her ability to secure extra possessions, finish inside and control the glass gives NC State a physical presence that can tilt matchups.
Her watch-list selection follows additional recognition last season, including a place among the finalists for the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year award. With Pierre and Brooks both receiving national attention, NC State has two players capable of shaping the conference race.
Imari Berry, Louisville Cardinals
Berry gives Louisville a versatile guard who can score, rebound and create defensive disruption.
She averaged 10.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 2025-26, while shooting 37.1% from three-point range. Berry also recorded 54 steals, showing her ability to contribute beyond the scoring column.
Her perimeter shooting offers Louisville an important offensive option, while her rebounding and defensive activity help her influence games in several ways. The watch-list recognition gives Berry an opportunity to build on that balanced production and take another step forward in her Cardinals career.
Tajianna Roberts, Louisville Cardinals
Roberts joins Berry on the list, giving Louisville two players to watch as the Cardinals pursue another strong season.
Roberts averaged 11.5 points, 3.1 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game in 2025-26. She started all 37 games and finished the season with 424 points and 115 assists. She also made 65 three-pointers.
As a steady presence in the backcourt, Roberts brings scoring and distribution to Louisville’s offense. Her ability to create opportunities for teammates while remaining a threat from beyond the arc makes her an important piece of the Cardinals’ plans.
With Berry and Roberts both earning watch-list recognition, Louisville’s backcourt has a pair of players whose production could help shape the ACC standings.
Uche Izoje, Syracuse Orange
Izoje is coming off a freshman season that made an immediate impact in the ACC — and her name belongs in conversations about the conference’s rising stars.
The Syracuse center averaged 15.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 2025-26, earning ACC Rookie of the Year and first-team All-ACC honors. She also made the All-ACC Defensive Team and was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team.
Her defensive numbers were especially eye-catching: Izoje recorded 85 blocks, the most in the ACC and fourth-most nationally. She also set Syracuse freshman records for points (514) and rebounds (303).
That combination of scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking gives Syracuse a formidable presence inside. Izoje was also named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List, making her one of the conference’s most decorated young talents entering the new season.
Lulu Twidale, California Golden Bears
If a defense loses track of Twidale beyond the three-point line, it could pay for that mistake quickly.
The California guard averaged 16.2 points per game in 2025-26 and knocked down 101 three-pointers, the fifth-highest total in the nation. She finished with 566 points and 128 assists, earning second-team All-ACC recognition.
Twidale already owns California’s program records for three-pointers in a single season (101) and career (236). Her shooting gives the Golden Bears a weapon capable of changing the momentum of a game in a matter of possessions.
She also demonstrated that her impact extends beyond perimeter scoring, setting career highs in rebounds and assists last season. For a player who can stretch defenses and create opportunities for teammates, Twidale’s inclusion adds another dimension to the ACC’s national-award representation.
Talayah Walker, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Walker is another ACC guard whose watch-list selection reflects a breakout season.
The Georgia Tech standout scored 576 points in 2025-26, the most by a Yellow Jacket since the 2015-16 season. She became the first player in program history to record three 30-point games in one season and produced back-to-back 30-point performances in ACC play — a feat no Georgia Tech player had accomplished in that setting since 1993.
Walker earned first-team All-ACC recognition and was selected to the conference’s preseason All-ACC team. Her scoring surges and ability to string together high-output performances made her one of Georgia Tech’s most important offensive players.
The next challenge is sustaining that production as opponents build their game plans around her. If Walker keeps finding ways to score at a high level, she could be one of the conference’s most exciting players to follow.
Kate Harpring, North Carolina Tar Heels
Harpring’s selection stands out for a different reason: she is the only freshman on the 50-player watch list.
The Atlanta native arrives at North Carolina with an elite résumé from the prep ranks. She was named the 2025-26 Naismith Girls’ High School Player of the Year, earned McDonald’s All-American honors and finished her high school career as Georgia’s all-time leading scorer with 3,435 points. She also led Marist School to back-to-back Georgia Class 4A state championships.
Harpring has already offered an early glimpse of what she might bring to Chapel Hill. In two exhibition games, she led the Tar Heels with averages of 23.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per outing. Those performances are an encouraging introduction, though the regular season will provide the first sustained test of her transition to college basketball.
Her watch-list selection is a major early honor and puts one of the country’s most highly touted newcomers on the national radar before she plays her first regular-season game for Carolina.
What the ACC’s 11 Selections Mean
The conference’s representation is spread across established stars, proven scorers, elite defenders and a highly regarded newcomer. The list also highlights the different ways players can influence winning basketball.
Virginia: Johnson brings elite scoring and playmaking, backed by a historic NCAA Tournament run.
Notre Dame: Hidalgo’s two-way intensity makes her a central figure in the Irish’s national ambitions.
Duke: Fournier combines high-level scoring, rebounding and shot-blocking.
NC State: Brooks provides backcourt versatility, while Pierre supplies scoring and dominant rebounding.
Louisville: Berry and Roberts give the Cardinals two nationally recognized guards with complementary skills.
Syracuse: Izoje brings interior scoring and elite shot-blocking after a standout freshman season.
California: Twidale’s perimeter shooting and playmaking give the Golden Bears a potent offensive threat.
Georgia Tech: Walker enters the season after a career-best scoring year.
North Carolina: Harpring represents the next generation of talent, arriving with national prep honors and early preseason production.
A watch-list selection is not a prediction that a player will win the award. It is recognition that she belongs in the early national conversation. The list will narrow as the season progresses, with performance, consistency and team success helping determine who remains in contention.
For ACC fans, the takeaway is simple: Johnson is not carrying the conference’s national-award hopes alone. Eleven players have earned an early place in the conversation, and each has a different path to making a case for the sport’s highest individual honor.
The season will determine who rises, who surprises and who turns a preseason distinction into a genuine Player of the Year campaign. For now, the ACC has plenty of talent worth watching.
Source attribution: Atlanta Tipoff Club and official athletics releases from Virginia, Notre Dame, Duke, NC State, Louisville, Syracuse, California, Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
