South Carolina senior Madina Okot was named on Mar. 12 as one of five finalists for the 2026 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, according to an announcement by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
The recognition highlights Okot’s strong performance during the season and her impact on both ends of the court. The Lisa Leslie Award honors the top center in women’s college basketball each year.
Okot earned All-SEC second-team honors and is currently third in the nation with 21 double-doubles, including an NCAA-leading eight against ranked opponents and ten against Southeastern Conference teams. She leads the SEC and ranks eleventh nationally with an average of 10.9 rebounds per game, increasing to a league-best 10.6 rebounds during conference play and 11.1 rebounds per game in matchups against ranked teams. Okot has recorded double-digit rebounds in all but five games this season, averaging just 24 minutes per contest, which contributes to her ranking as second in the country for rebounds per 40 minutes at 18.1.
Offensively, Okot holds an eighteenth-place national ranking with a .578 field goal percentage and averages 13.4 points per game, placing her third on her team. Her scoring includes six games with at least twenty points, two of which were against ranked opponents. Defensively, she is fifth in the SEC with an average of 1.6 blocks per game overall and increases that rate to 1.8 blocks during conference play.
The selection committee for the award consists of prominent figures from women’s college basketball, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers who will work alongside Lisa Leslie to select this year’s winner.
The winner will be announced at a later date along with recipients of other Women’s Starting Five awards: Nancy Lieberman (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller (Small Forward), and Katrina McClain (Power Forward). South Carolina awaits its placement in the upcoming NCAA Tournament bracket set to be revealed on Sunday, March 15 at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
