For the first time in five years, the UConn women’s basketball team is represented on the midseason top 10 for the Lisa Leslie Award given to the best center in the country.
Serah Williams, who transferred to UConn from Wisconsin for her final collegiate season, was named to the shortlist Friday, becoming the first Husky to make the top 10 since Olivia Nelson-Ododa was a finalist for the award in 2020-21. A UConn player has never won the award since it was introduced in 2018.
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Williams has a more limited role with the Huskies than she had at Wisconsin, but the senior center remains productive despite receiving less playing time. She is averaging 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 blocks in 19 minutes, and she is giving up a career-low 1.8 turnovers per game. Williams is also shooting a career-best 58.1% from the field.
UCLA’s Lauren Betts earned the Lisa Leslie last year and is back on the midseason top 10 this season, as are two other 2025 finalists: Iowa State’s Audi Crooks and Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers.
UConn is represented on the midseason top 10 for three of the five Basketball Hall of Fame positional awards with Williams’ selection. Sophomore phenom Sarah Strong was named to the shortlist for the Katrina McClain Award given to the nation’s top power forward Thurday, and Azzi Fudd made the list for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award for shooting guards Tuesday. The last Huskies player to win a Hall of Fame award was Paige Bueckers, who earned the Nancy Lieberman award for best point guard in 2025 and 2021.
Lisa Leslie Award midseason top 10
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma; Lauren Betts, UCLA; Audi Crooks, Iowa State; Ava Heiden, Iowa; Ra Shaya Kyle, Miami; Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State; Madina Okot, South Carolina; Clara Strack, Kentucky; Tilda Trygger, NC State; Serah Williams, UConn
