Texas Women's Basketball Trio Named to Naismith Trophy Watchlist

Preseason awards don't stop coming to Texas women's basketball.

Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) and guard Rori Harmon (3) sit on the bench together in the second half of the Longhorns' game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Moody Center in Austin, Jan 16, 2024. Texas won the game 91-56. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

AUSTIN -- Senior point guard Rori Harmon, sophomore forward Madison Booker and senior guard Laila Phelia of Texas women's basketball were named to the 2024-25 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s College Player of the Year Watch List.

Despite being out for the majority of the 2023-2024 season, Harmon maintained her elite level that put her as one of the best players in the nation prior to her injury, leading the country in the assist-turnover ratio with 93 assists and 14 turnovers.

Harmon is an expected first-round draft pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and was also selected to the coaches' Pre-season All-SEC second team. On top of the Naismith watch list, Harmon was named to Nancy Lieberman Award Point Guard of the Year watch list.

Following her injury in late December 2023, then-freshman Booker was appointed as the team's new point guard, despite being a natural forward. Booker was selected SEC Co-Preseason Player of the Year by the media and the solo recepient of this honor per the coaches poll. Booker's freshman season landed her a place in the WBCA First Team All-America and a win in the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year.

With the healthy Harmon and a mature Booker, Texas could pose a big threat in the conference, and currently sits No. 2 in the SEC rankings, following national champion South Carolina. The Longhorns went as far as the Elite Eight in last season's NCAA Tournament.

In addition to the already strong team, Texas added Michigan transfer Phelia to the roster, who was also named to the Naismith watchilist. Phelia is a former First Team All-Big 10 player and and scored in double figures in 29 games last year. Like Harmon, Phelia's name is included in another watchlist with a nomination to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year watch list.

Texas women's basketball will play an exhibition game against UT-Tyler on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT at the Moody Center. SEC season tips-off in January in Norman against Oklahoma.

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