Woliczko Named to Katrina McClain Award Watch List

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of 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 to the preseason watch list and one of three representatives from the Big Ten. Presented in partnership with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, the award recognizes the top power forward in NCAA Division I women's basketball.

The San Bruno, California, native arrived at Iowa as the No. 6 overall recruit in the 2026 class, according to ESPN. Woliczko is the highest-rated recruit of Jan Jensen's tenure and the second-highest-rated recruit in program history. She was selected to participate in the 2026 McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and 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 percent from the field. She 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 became the first woman in event history to record a points-and-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 earned All-Star Five honors at both international tournaments.

Woliczko joins fellow Hawkeyes Chazadi 'Chit-Chat' Wright and Dani Carnegie as Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame positional award preseason watch list selections this week. Wright was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award watch list Monday, while Carnegie earned Ann Meyers Drysdale Award recognition Tuesday.

Now in its 10th year, the Katrina McClain Award is named after the two-time All-American, 1987 National Player of the Year and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. 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. For more information, visit hoophallawards.com.

No. 10 Iowa hosts Maryville in an exhibition Thursday, Oct. 29, before opening the regular season against Towson on Monday, Nov. 2. Both games are set for 7 p.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena and will stream on B1G+.

2027 Katrina McClain Award Preseason Watch List

• 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
• McKenna Woliczko — Iowa