BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU’s ZaKiyah Johnson was named to the Katrina McClain Award Preseason Watchlist Thursday by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as one of the Top 20 power forwards across the country in women’s basketball.
The Katrina McClain Award, now in its 10th year, recognizes the top power forward in NCAA Division I women’s college basketball. It is named after the two-time All-American, 1987 National Player of the Year, and Class of 2012 Hall of Famer.
Across its first nine awardees, Aneesah Morrow was the first LSU player to receive the Katrina McClain Award as the best power forward in the nation.
Johnson came onto the scene at LSU and was a player Coach Kim Mulkey had to get on the floor and although she was recruited to play on the perimeter, she was a post player for the majority of the season with stints in the backcourt. Johnson appeared in 34 games with 23 starts as a freshman contributor, averaging 9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. She scored 330 points, grabbed 189 rebounds and dished out 34 assists, while blocking 17 shot attempts and picking 28 pockets throughout the season, while logging the most minutes of LSU’s freshman class. Her 23 starts were the most among the freshman class.
Johnson, a product of Shelbyville, Ky., was LSU’s fifth-leading scorer a season ago but the top scorer among LSU freshmen. She was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team becoming the ninth LSU freshman to earn All-Freshman honors from the league office. Johnson scored in double figures 18 times during her freshman season with three instances of 10-plus rebounds.
In the Tigers’ first exhibition contest against UNT Dallas, Johnson accounted for 23 points, two assists and 10 rebounds. LSU returns to action on Thursday night to face Loyola (N.O.) in its final exhibition before the Tigers welcome Southeastern Louisiana to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on November 2.
Fans can support Johnsons by participating in fan voting starting Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Katrina McClain Award will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to McClain and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where a winner will be selected. The selection committee 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 2027 McClain Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men’s and Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards (Small Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).
Jada Williams was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watchlist on Monday, and MiLaysia Fulwiley received recognition on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Preseason Watchlist on Tuesday. Mikaylah Williams was selected to the Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watchlist on Wednesday.