Photo: UVA Athletics
Virginia’s Kymora Johnson is entering the 2026-27 women’s college basketball season with national recognition — and another opportunity to establish herself among the best point guards in the country.
The Cavaliers standout was named one of 20 candidates for the 2027 Nancy Lieberman Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced Oct. 26. The award honors the top point guard in NCAA Division I women’s basketball.
For Johnson, the selection marks her second consecutive appearance on the preseason watch list and comes after a junior campaign that placed her among the nation’s most productive guards.
Johnson’s Numbers Tell the Story
Johnson delivered a standout 2025-26 season, averaging 19.5 points, 5.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. She was one of only three Division I players to average at least 19 points and 5.5 assists per game last season.
Her impact extended into March, when she helped Virginia make its first Sweet Sixteen appearance in 26 years. The Cavaliers also made history as the first team to reach the Sweet Sixteen after competing in the NCAA tournament’s First Four.
Johnson elevated her production during the tournament, averaging 22 points, 5.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Her performance earned her first-team All-ACC honors and a WBCA All-America honorable mention in 2026. She also enters the new season as a Preseason All-ACC selection.
A Record-Setting Career in Charlottesville
Johnson’s influence on Virginia basketball goes beyond the box score. She has established herself as one of the program’s most accomplished offensive players, setting records that reflect her scoring ability and range.
She set Virginia program records for three-pointers in a single game, a single season and a career. Her 10 three-pointers against Winthrop established the single-game mark, while her 103 three-pointers in 2025-26 set the single-season record. Her career total of 231 three-pointers also stands as a program record.
Johnson’s 41-point performance against Winthrop ranks as the second-highest single-game scoring total in Virginia history. She has scored 1,725 career points, placing her ninth on the Cavaliers’ all-time scoring list.
That combination of perimeter shooting, playmaking and scoring gives Johnson a strong foundation as she pursues one of the most prestigious individual honors in women’s college basketball.
What the Nancy Lieberman Award Means
Now in its 28th year, the Nancy Lieberman Award recognizes the nation’s top Division I women’s basketball point guard. Named for Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 1996 member Nancy Lieberman, the award emphasizes the qualities that define the position: leadership, playmaking and ball-handling.
Being named to the watch list does not guarantee a finalist spot, but it puts Johnson among the players being monitored as the season unfolds.
Fan voting begins Friday, Oct. 30, with voting opportunities available during three rounds. The watch list will be reduced to 10 candidates in February and five finalists in March. Those finalists will then be presented to the selection committees for the award’s final decision in late March.
The committees include basketball personnel such as media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
Johnson Joins a Competitive National Field
Johnson is one of 20 players from programs across the country named to the 2027 watch list. The candidates include Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, UConn’s KK Arnold, NC State’s Zoe Brooks, Louisville’s Zamareya Jones and USC’s Jazzy Davidson.
The full watch list also features players from Villanova, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Texas, Nebraska, Miami, LSU, TCU and Iowa.
With another preseason honor secured and a record-setting season behind her, Johnson enters the new campaign with a chance to build on her national profile while helping Virginia maintain its momentum after last season’s NCAA tournament breakthrough.
Source attribution: Virginia Athletics, Oct. 26, 2026.
