Heiden, Carnegie Named to Naismith Trophy Watch List

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa women's basketball players Ava Heiden and Dani Carnegie have been named to the 2026-27 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Thursday.

The Hawkeye duo is among 50 players nationally selected to the preseason watch list. The award recognizes the most outstanding player in women's college basketball.

Heiden enters her third season with the Hawkeyes following a breakout 2025-26 campaign. The Sherwood, Oregon, native averaged 18.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 64.1 percent from the field. She totaled 612 points and 246 rebounds, ranking third and seventh, respectively, on Iowa's second-year single-season lists. Heiden recorded nine double-doubles and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from both the coaches and media, along with honorable mention All-America recognition from the Associated Press, USBWA and WBCA.

The third-year center was also named to the 2026-27 Coaches and Media Preseason All-Big Ten teams earlier this month.

Carnegie enters her first season at Iowa after earning unanimous first-team All-SEC honors at Georgia in 2025-26. The Mount Vernon, New York, native started all 32 games for the Bulldogs, averaging 17.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest. She connected on 84 3-pointers and was rated the No. 6 overall prospect in the transfer portal.

The third-year guard helped Team USA capture gold at the 2026 FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup in September and was named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award preseason watch list earlier this week.

Iowa has produced two previous Naismith Trophy winners. Megan Gustafson became the first Hawkeye to earn the honor in 2019, while Caitlin Clark claimed the award in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024.

The No. 10 Hawkeyes host Maryville in an exhibition Thursday at 7 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa opens the regular season Monday, Nov. 2, against Towson.