Tajianna Roberts and Laura Ziegler Named to Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List
October 30, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Cards are one of three ACC schools with multiple players on the Watch List
ATLANTA — The 2025-26 season is less than a week away and the preseason honors keep rolling in for the Louisville women's basketball team. Sophomore guard Tajianna Roberts and senior forward Laura Ziegler were both named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List, the Naismith Awards announced Thursday afternoon.
Roberts and Ziegler were both named to the Preseason All-ACC team a few weeks ago. Roberts was just named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Preseason Watch List on Tuesday this week and the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List is set to be announced on Friday afternoon.
Roberts is the team's leading scorer returning from 2024-25, as she averaged 12.8 points per game in her freshman season. She led the team with 57 steals and was second on the team with 53 three-pointers. She scored 21 points in her collegiate debut against #5 UCLA, the first Louisville freshmen to score 20 or more points in a game since 2020-21.
Roberts was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and second team All-ACC following the season. She was just one of two freshmen to earn All-ACC honors. During the year, she was named ACC Rookie of the Week five times. It set a program record for most Freshman of the Week honors in a single season.
Ziegler comes to the Cardinals after spending her first three seasons at Saint Joseph's. She is coming off a standout junior season with the Hawks as she led the Atlantic-10 with 10.4 rebounds per game and was second in the conference with 17.5 points per game. She ranked third in the country with 8.8 defensive rebounds per game and was fifth nationally with 20 double-doubles. She set the Saint Joseph's program record with 43 points against Loyola Chicago.
Ziegler was a finalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award following her junior season. She was a two-time Atlantic-10 First Team All Conference honoree and was named the Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year following her freshman season.
Roberts and Ziegler were both named to the Preseason All-ACC team a few weeks ago. Roberts was just named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Preseason Watch List on Tuesday this week and the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List is set to be announced on Friday afternoon.
Roberts is the team's leading scorer returning from 2024-25, as she averaged 12.8 points per game in her freshman season. She led the team with 57 steals and was second on the team with 53 three-pointers. She scored 21 points in her collegiate debut against #5 UCLA, the first Louisville freshmen to score 20 or more points in a game since 2020-21.
Roberts was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and second team All-ACC following the season. She was just one of two freshmen to earn All-ACC honors. During the year, she was named ACC Rookie of the Week five times. It set a program record for most Freshman of the Week honors in a single season.
Ziegler comes to the Cardinals after spending her first three seasons at Saint Joseph's. She is coming off a standout junior season with the Hawks as she led the Atlantic-10 with 10.4 rebounds per game and was second in the conference with 17.5 points per game. She ranked third in the country with 8.8 defensive rebounds per game and was fifth nationally with 20 double-doubles. She set the Saint Joseph's program record with 43 points against Loyola Chicago.
Ziegler was a finalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award following her junior season. She was a two-time Atlantic-10 First Team All Conference honoree and was named the Atlantic-10 Rookie of the Year following her freshman season.
Players Mentioned
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