Edwards, Littlepage-Buggs Selected to Katrina McClain Award Preseason Watch List

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced on Thursday that Baylor women’s basketball’s Dre’Una Edwards and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs have been named to the 2024 Katrina McClain Award Preseason Watch List.

The recognition marks the second straight year that Edwards has been one of 20 candidates to earn the honor, while this is the first-career national preseason accolade for Littlepage-Buggs.

Named after the two-time All-American and 1987 National Player of the Year, the annual award in its seventh year recognizes the top power forwards in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. A national committee of top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 20 candidates.

Receiving her second nomination for the award after transferring from Kentucky ahead of the 2022-23 season, Edwards earned a Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention her first year in the league. Before sitting out last season due to transfer rules, Edwards played a key role in the 2022 SEC Tournament Championship for the Wildcats, sinking the game-winning 3-pointer against No. 1 South Carolina to secure the title. She finished the year second on the team in scoring with 16.8 points per game off 44.1 percent shooting from the field.

The unanimous 2023 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Littlepage-Buggs enters her sophomore season coming off a record-setting true freshman campaign for the Bears. Receiving the most weekly Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors in BU program history and second-most ever in the conference, she led the team with 14 double-doubles, 9.4 rebounds per contest and finished with 28 blocks.

In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2024 Katrina McClain Award will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee, where a winner will be selected.

Beginning Oct. 20, fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, in each of the three rounds.

2024 Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award Candidates*

Janiah Barker                          Texas A&M

Erynn Barnum                         Mississippi State

Sam Brunelle                          Virginia

Addie Budnik                           Richmond

Olivia Cochran                        Louisville

Mimi Collins                            NC State

Aicha Coulibaly                       Texas A&M

Aaliyah Edwards                     UConn

Dre’Una Edwards                   Baylor

Sania Feagin                           South Carolina

DeYona Gaston                      Texas

Lauren Gustin                         BYU

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs     Baylor

Esmery Martinez                     Arizona

Quay Miller                              Colorado

Aaliyah Moore                         Texas

Alissa Pili                                Utah

Angel Reese                           LSU

Emma Ronsiek                       Creighton

Maddy Westbend                    Notre Dame

*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point during the 2023-24 season