SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Texas A&M's Ciera Johnson was one of 20 standout centers named to the Watch List for the 2020 Lisa Leslie Award, as announced by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Friday. The award is given annually to the nation's top center.
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Johnson ranked among the SEC's leaders in points (12.0, 27th), rebounds (8.4, sixth) and blocks (35, 12th) last season. As a sophomore transfer, she scored 10+ points in 27 of 34 games, and had 12 double-doubles, which ranks her seventh on A&M's career list after just one season in Aggieland.
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During the 2019 SEC and NCAA Tournaments, she averaged 13.2 points and 9.6 rebounds, posting three double-doubles in the postseason. She ranked 10th in the SEC with a 72.6% free throw percentage and shot 52.9% from the field.
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Johnson joins three of her teammates, Chennedy Carter (Nancy Lieberman Award), N'dea Jones (Katrina McClain Award) and Kayla Wells (Cheryl Miller Award) as watch list selections for the Basketball Hall of Fame's positional awards. Texas A&M is one of six schools to have at least four players selected to the watch lists, and the only SEC school to have more than two players on the lists.
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Named after the three-time All-American and 1994 National Player of the Year, the annual award in its third year recognizes the top centers in NCAA Division I women's college basketball.
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The Selection Committee for the Lisa Leslie Award is composed of top women's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. New to the award this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 Lisa Leslie Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committee.
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2020 Lisa Leslie Award Candidates
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Johnson ranked among the SEC's leaders in points (12.0, 27th), rebounds (8.4, sixth) and blocks (35, 12th) last season. As a sophomore transfer, she scored 10+ points in 27 of 34 games, and had 12 double-doubles, which ranks her seventh on A&M's career list after just one season in Aggieland.
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During the 2019 SEC and NCAA Tournaments, she averaged 13.2 points and 9.6 rebounds, posting three double-doubles in the postseason. She ranked 10th in the SEC with a 72.6% free throw percentage and shot 52.9% from the field.
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Johnson joins three of her teammates, Chennedy Carter (Nancy Lieberman Award), N'dea Jones (Katrina McClain Award) and Kayla Wells (Cheryl Miller Award) as watch list selections for the Basketball Hall of Fame's positional awards. Texas A&M is one of six schools to have at least four players selected to the watch lists, and the only SEC school to have more than two players on the lists.
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Named after the three-time All-American and 1994 National Player of the Year, the annual award in its third year recognizes the top centers in NCAA Division I women's college basketball.
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The Selection Committee for the Lisa Leslie Award is composed of top women's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers. New to the award this season is Fan Voting presented by Dell Technologies in each of the three rounds. By mid-February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2019 Lisa Leslie Award will be narrowed to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Ms. Leslie and the Hall of Fame's selection committee.
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2020 Lisa Leslie Award Candidates
| Bayley Plummer | Appalachian State |
| Queen Egbo | Baylor |
| Olivia Nelson-Ododa | Connecticut |
| Jade Williams | Duke |
| Kristin Scott | Iowa State |
| Kayla Cooper-Williams | James Madison |
| Shakira Austin | Maryland |
| Beatrice Mompremier | Miami |
| Elissa Cunane | NC State |
| Kate Cain | Nebraska |
| Janelle Bailey | North Carolina |
| Eleah Parker | Penn |
| Ae'Rianna Harris | Purdue |
| Nancy Mulkey | Rice |
| Aliyah Boston | South Carolina |
| Maya Dodson | Stanford |
| Charli Collier | Texas |
| Ciera Johnson | Texas A&M |
| Brittany Brewer | Texas Tech |
| Mariella Fasoula | Vanderbilt |