Washington State guard Charlisse Leger-Walker on Ann Meyers watch list again
For the second year in a row, Washington State guard Charlisse Leger-Walker is in the running for one of the top awards in women’s basketball.
On Tuesday, Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association named the junior from New Zealand as one of 20 shooting guards on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards watch list.
Leger-Walker is on the watch list for the second straight year after she led the Cougars to a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
In her first two years in Pullman, Leger-Walker has scored more points (935) than any other player in the Pacific-12 Conference.
She also leads the Pac-12 in 20-point games during that span, with 23.
Leger-Walker also is a two-time all-conference pick and the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2020-21.
Leger-Walker is the fourth WSU women’s basketball player to be selected to a Basketball Hall of Fame/WBCA Starting Five watch list. Last season, Leger-Walker was part of the 10 finalists for the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award.
She became the second Cougar in program history to be named a top-10 finalist, joining Borislava Hristova, who was a top-10 finalist for the 2019 Cheryl Miller Award (for top small forward).
Post Bella Murekatete also earned a spot on the Lisa Leslie Award watch list for top center. Tia Presley was on the 2015 Nancy Lieberman list for top point guard.
In late January, the Ann Meyers watch list will be narrowed to 10, and in late February to just five. In March, the Hall of Fame’s selection committee will choose the winner.
On Wednesday, Gonzaga guard Brynna Maxwell was one of 25 players named to the watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award.
This year’s preseason watch list includes representatives from 25 schools and 13 conferences. The Atlantic 10 and MAC lead all conferences with four watch list members, tying the previous record for most representatives on the preseason watch list (MVC 2021-22, MAC 2020-21).
Maxwell, a native of Gig Harbor, Washington, came to Gonzaga after three successful years at Utah, where she was a two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection.
Starting 63 games for the Utes, she ranks fifth in program history in 3-pointers made in a season with 83 in 2019-20. Maxwell has scored in double figures in 52 games.