The Naismith Trophy announced its 10-player watch list for the women's Defensive Player of the Year award on Tuesday.
The full list includes eight seniors and two juniors. The Big Ten's three nominees leads all conferences, with the SEC right behind with two.
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Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan, one of those eight seniors, is looking to repeat. She won the inaugural Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year award in 2018. No. 1 Baylor is the only school with two players on the list, with Kalani Brown and Lauren Cox.
Women’s Defensive Player of the Year 10 semifinalists:
| PLAYER | school | class | position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kristine Anigwe | California | Senior | Center/Forward |
| Chastadie Barrs | Lamar | Senior | Guard |
| Kenisha Bell | Minnesota | Senior | Guard |
| Kalani Brown | Baylor | Senior | Center |
| Lauren Cox | Baylor | Junior | Forward |
| Megan Gustafson | Iowa | Senior | Forward |
| Ae'Rianna Harris | Purdue | Junior | Forward |
| Teaira McCowan | Mississippi State | Senior | Center |
| Taylor Murray | Kentucky | Senior | Guard |
| Brianna Turner | Notre Dame | Senior | Forward |
AWARD WATCH: Here are the 30 players nominated to the Naismith Trophy midseason watch list
The winner will be announced on April 6, the same day that the Naismith women's coach of the year and women's player of the year awards are revealed.
