Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics
Laura Ziegler Named to Katrina McClain Award Top 10 List
February 05, 2026 | Women's Basketball
The award honors the top power forward in college basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Louisville women's basketball senior forward Laura Ziegler was named to the Mid-Season Top 10 list for the Katrina McClain Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday afternoon. The award honors the best power forward in all of women's college basketball.
Ziegler has started all 24 games for the Cardinals this season and she leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game while ranking second with 11.0 points and 2.8 assists per game. Ziegler has led the team in rebounding in 12 games this season and has had multiple assists in 19 of the 24 contests this season.
In the most recent West Coast road trip for the Cards, Ziegler had a team-best 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Stanford on Thursday. It was her fourth double-double of the season to lead the team and she scored 20 points or more for the first time this season. She is one of six players on the Cards to score 20 points or more in a game this season. In the win over Cal, Ziegler tallied 14 points and had a team-high five assists as the Cards became just the third women's program in the ACC to sweep the West Coast road swing over Stanford and Cal.
In her first game with the Cardinals against No. 1 UConn, Ziegler tallied 16 points and a career-best 18 rebounds. The 18 rebounds were the most by an opposing player against UConn since the 2002-03 season. She was named ACC Co-Player of the Week back in December after her performances in the wins over Ball State and No. 12/11 North Carolina.
2026 Katrina McClain Award Candidates*
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor
Toby Fournier, Duke
Hannah Stuelke, Iowa
Laura Ziegler, Louisville
Khamil Pierre, NC State
Maggie Doogan, Richmond
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Janiah Barker, Tennessee
Sarah Strong, UConn
Sacha Washington, Vanderbilt
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in both of the remaining rounds starting on Friday, February 6, on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In mid-March, the Mid-Season Top 10 list will be narrowed to just five, and in late March, the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Katrina McClain Award is composed of top women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2026 McClain Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center).
For more information on the 2026 Katrina McClain Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #McClainAward on X and Instagram.
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers, and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981, or call 1-770-279-8027.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors—both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 475 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 150 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com and follow @hoophallU.
Basketball Hall of Fame Media Contact
Nicole Schuermann, Position Sports // mediarelations@positionsports.com
Ziegler has started all 24 games for the Cardinals this season and she leads the team with 7.5 rebounds per game while ranking second with 11.0 points and 2.8 assists per game. Ziegler has led the team in rebounding in 12 games this season and has had multiple assists in 19 of the 24 contests this season.
In the most recent West Coast road trip for the Cards, Ziegler had a team-best 22 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Stanford on Thursday. It was her fourth double-double of the season to lead the team and she scored 20 points or more for the first time this season. She is one of six players on the Cards to score 20 points or more in a game this season. In the win over Cal, Ziegler tallied 14 points and had a team-high five assists as the Cards became just the third women's program in the ACC to sweep the West Coast road swing over Stanford and Cal.
In her first game with the Cardinals against No. 1 UConn, Ziegler tallied 16 points and a career-best 18 rebounds. The 18 rebounds were the most by an opposing player against UConn since the 2002-03 season. She was named ACC Co-Player of the Week back in December after her performances in the wins over Ball State and No. 12/11 North Carolina.
2026 Katrina McClain Award Candidates*
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor
Toby Fournier, Duke
Hannah Stuelke, Iowa
Laura Ziegler, Louisville
Khamil Pierre, NC State
Maggie Doogan, Richmond
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
Janiah Barker, Tennessee
Sarah Strong, UConn
Sacha Washington, Vanderbilt
Fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting in both of the remaining rounds starting on Friday, February 6, on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
In mid-March, the Mid-Season Top 10 list will be narrowed to just five, and in late March, the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Katrina McClain Award is composed of top women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2026 McClain Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), and the Lisa Leslie Award (Center).
For more information on the 2026 Katrina McClain Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #McClainAward on X and Instagram.
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers, and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981, or call 1-770-279-8027.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors—both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 475 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 150 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com and follow @hoophallU.
Basketball Hall of Fame Media Contact
Nicole Schuermann, Position Sports // mediarelations@positionsports.com
Players Mentioned
F
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