– Fan Voting Starts Friday, October 31 –
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2026 Karl Malone Award and, in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2026 Katrina McClain Award.
The annual Karl Malone Award, named after the Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, celebrates its 12th year by recognizing the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball.
The Katrina McClain Award, now in its ninth year, recognizes the top power forwards in women’s NCAA Division I college basketball. It is named after the two-time All-American, 1987 National Player of the Year, and Class of 2012 Hall of Famer.
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2026 Karl Malone Award Candidates*
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2026 Katrina McClain Award Candidates*
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Koa Peat
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Arizona
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Essence Cody
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Alabama
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Keyshawn Hall
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Auburn
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Darianna Littlepage-Buggs
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Baylor
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Michael Rataj
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Baylor
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Toby Fournier
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Duke
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Cameron Boozer
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Duke
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Meghan Andersen
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Fairfield
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Thomas Haugh
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Florida
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Allie Kubek
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Florida State
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Baye Ndongo
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Georgia Tech
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Hannah Stuelke
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Iowa
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Graham Ike
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Gonzaga
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Addy Brown
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Iowa State
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Joseph Tugler
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Houston
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Amiya Joyner
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LSU
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Alvaro Folgueiras
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Iowa
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Mir McLean
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Maryland
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Joshua Jefferson
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Iowa State
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Khamil Pierre
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NC State
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Malik Reneau
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Miami
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Natalie Potts
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Nebraska
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Yaxel Lendeborg
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Michigan
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Latasha Lattimore
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Ole Miss
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Caleb Wilson
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North Carolina
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Maggie Doogan
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Richmond
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Nick Martinelli
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Northwestern
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Joyce Edwards
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South Carolina
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Trey Kaufman-Renn
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Purdue
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Nunu Agara
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Stanford
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Bryce Hopkins
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St. John’s
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Janiah Barker
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Tennessee
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Donnie Freeman
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Syracuse
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Sienna Betts
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UCLA
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JT Toppin
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Texas Tech
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Sarah Strong
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UConn
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Tyler Bilodeau
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UCLA
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Sacha Washington
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Vanderbilt
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Alex Karaban
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UConn
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Sa’Myah Smith
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Virginia
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*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2025-26 season.
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, October 31. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2026 Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Malone, McClain, and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The Selection Committees for the Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards are composed of top men’s and women’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2026 Malone and McClain Awards 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).
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Award are Johni Broome, Auburn (2025), Jaedon LeDee, San Diego State (2024), Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana (2023), Keegan Murray, Iowa (2022), Drew Timme, Gonzaga (2021), Obi Toppin, Dayton (2020), Zion Williamson, Duke (2019), Deandre Ayton, Arizona (2018), Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017), Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016), and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015).
Previous winners of the Katrina McClain Award are Aneesah Morrow, LSU (2025), Kiki Iriafen, Stanford (2024), Maddy Siegrist, Villanova (2023), NaLyssa Smith, Baylor (2021-22), Ruthy Hebard, Oregon (2018, ‘20), and Napheesa Collier, Connecticut (2019).
For more information on the 2026 Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu, #MaloneAward, 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 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com and follow @hoophallu.
