Iowa's McKenna Woliczko named to Katrina McClain Award watch list

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Iowa's McKenna Woliczko named to Katrina McClain Award watch list

Iowa's McKenna Woliczko named to Katrina McClain Award watch list

Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire · Hawkeyes Wire

Fri, October 30, 2026 at 3:45 PM UTC ·

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First-year Iowa women's basketball forward McKenna Woliczko has been named to the 2027 Katrina McClain Award preseason watch list , the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

Woliczko is one of 20 players nationally selected for the preseason watch list and one of three Big Ten representatives for the award, which recognizes the top power forward in NCAA Division I women's basketball.

The 6-foot-2 San Bruno, Calif., native was a five-star signee and arrived at Iowa as the No. 6 overall recruit in the 2026 class, according to ESPN .

Woliczko is Jan Jensen's highest-rated recruit in her tenure as head coach of the Hawkeyes and the second-highest-rated recruit in program history. After her senior season at Archbishop Mitty High School, she was selected to participate in the 2026 McDonald's All-American Game, the Jordan Brand Classic, and in the Nike Hoop Summit.

A two-time MaxPreps first-team All-American, Woliczko earned National Co-Freshman of the Year honors in 2023 and National Sophomore of the Year recognition in 2024 from the publication. During her high school career at Archbishop Mitty, she averaged 21.3 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 63.7% from the field. Woliczko was also a two-time Nike Tournament of Champions MVP, becoming one of only two players in event history to earn the honor multiple times.

At the 2026 Nike Hoop Summit, Woliczko recorded 10 points, a women's event-record 13 rebounds and a game-high six assists. She also became the first woman in the event's history to record a points-rebounds double-double.

Woliczko is also a two-time USA Basketball gold medalist, helping the United States capture titles at the 2023 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup. She also earned All-Star Five honors at both international tournaments.

Fan voting for the award begins Friday, Oct. 30. After that, the 20-player watch list will narrow to 10 candidates in February, and five finalists will be announced in March. For more information, visit hoophallawards.com .

Here's the full 2027 Katrina McClain Award Preseason Watch List:

McKenna Woliczko - Iowa
Nunu Agara — Maryland
Meghan Andersen — Fairfield
Carys Baker — Louisville
Jaliya Davis — Kansas
Skylar Forbes — West Virginia
Toby Fournier — Duke
Madison Francis — Mississippi State
Sophie Glancey — Santa Clara
Fatmata Janneh — Tennessee
ZaKiyah Johnson — LSU
Chloe Kitts — South Carolina
Grace Oliver — Boston College
Me'Arah O'Neal — Kentucky
Cearah Parchment — Illinois
Khamil Pierre — NC State
Sa'Myah Smith — Oklahoma
Lara Somfai — TCU
Sarah Strong — UConn
Lauren Whittaker — Gonzaga

Ava Heiden stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Taylor Stremlow stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Amari Whiting stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Chazadi 'Chit-Chat' Wright stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Layla Hays and Journey Houston stand for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

McKenna Woliczko stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Jocelyn Faison stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Bria Medina stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Jocelyn Faison, Chazadi 'Chit-Chat' Wright and Dani Carnegie stand for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Layla Hays and Ava Heiden stand for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Dani Carnegie stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Journey Houston stands for a photo during Iowa Women’s Basketball media day at Carver Hawkeye Arena, Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in Iowa City.
(Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

Iowa head coach Jan Jensen speaks to reporters Oct. 13, 2026 during the Iowa women’s basketball media day at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
(Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Cit, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)

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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa's McKenna Woliczko named to Katrina McClain Award watch list

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