IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa women's basketball guard Chazadi 'Chit-Chat' Wright has been named to the 2027 Nancy Lieberman Award preseason watch list, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced Monday.
Wright is one of 20 players nationally selected to the preseason watch list for the award, which recognizes the top point guard in NCAA Division I women's basketball.
The third-year guard enters the 2026-27 season following a breakout campaign in her first year with the Hawkeyes. Wright started all 31 games she played, averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per contest. The Atlanta native totaled 387 points and 138 assists, with her assist total ranking seventh on Iowa's single-season list for second-year players.
Wright earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the conference's coaches and honorable mention recognition from the media. She connected on 70 3-pointers at a 44.0 percent clip, recorded five 20-point performances and dished out a career-high 12 assists against Minnesota.
Now in its 28th year, the Nancy Lieberman Award recognizes point guards who demonstrate exceptional floor leadership, playmaking and ball-handling skills. Former Hawkeye Caitlin Clark earned the honor three consecutive seasons from 2022-24.
Fan voting begins Friday, Oct. 30. The 20-player watch list will be narrowed to 10 candidates in February before five finalists are announced in March. The winner will be selected by the Hall of Fame's award selection committee.
No. 10 Iowa will host Maryville in an exhibition Thursday, Oct. 29, before opening the regular season Monday, Nov. 2, against Towson. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. (CT) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and will stream on B1G+.
2027 Nancy Lieberman Award Preseason Watch List
KK Arnold — UConn
Jasmine Bascoe — Villanova
Kennedy Blair — Michigan State
Zoe Brooks — NC State
Jaloni Cambridge — Ohio State
Aaliyah Chavez — Oklahoma
Jazzy Davidson — USC
Katie Fiso — Oregon
Hannah Hidalgo — Notre Dame
Mila Holloway — Michigan
Kymora Johnson — Virginia
Zamareya Jones — Louisville
Liv McGill — Oklahoma State
S’Mya Nichols — Kansas
Bryanna Preston — Texas
Britt Prince — Nebraska
Gal Raviv — Miami
Jada Williams — LSU
Jadyn Wooten — TCU
Chit-Chat Wright — Iowa
