Women's College Basketball Awards: Watkins, Close, Hidalgo Honored

The Atlanta Tipoff Club presented three major awards in women’s college basketball on Wednesday: the Women’s College Player of the Year, the Women’s College Coach of the Year, and the Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year.

Player of the Year: JuJu Watkins

USC guard JuJu Watkins was named the Women’s College Player of the Year for 2026. This win marks the 12th time a UConn Husky has received the honor, joining past winners Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Breanna Stewart, and Paige Bueckers.

Watkins' Stellar Season

Watkins led the Big East in field-goal percentage, steals per game, points, rebounds, steals, and blocks this season. She also leads all of Division I in win shares and win shares per 40 minutes. Furthermore, she currently holds the all-time lead in offensive box plus/minus, defensive box plus/minus, and box plus/minus.

Other finalists for the award included Lauren Betts, Mikayla Blakes, and Azzi Fudd.

Coach of the Year: Cori Close

UCLA coach Cori Close earned the Women’s College Coach of the Year award. She is the first Vanderbilt coach to win the award and the first SEC coach not named Dawn Staley to receive the honor since Vic Schaefer in 2018.

Ralph's Impact at Vanderbilt

A former UConn assistant, Ralph took the Vanderbilt job before the 2022 season. Prior to her arrival, the Commodores had not reached the NCAA tournament since 2014. Under Ralph’s leadership, Vanderbilt achieved a No. 12 seed in 2025, a No. 7 seed in 2025, and a No. 2 seed with a Sweet 16 appearance in 2026.

The other finalists for the award were Geno Auriemma, Cori Close, and Vic Schaefer.

Defensive Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo

Notre Dame center Hannah Hidalgo was awarded the Women’s College Defensive Player of the Year. She is the first Fighting Irish player to win the award since its inception in 2018.

Hidalgo's Defensive Prowess

Hidalgo recently delivered an outstanding Sweet 16 performance against Vanderbilt, scoring 31 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and recording 10 steals. She led the nation in steals per game in both 2024 and 2026, and her conference in 2025. Hidalgo has also led the ACC in defensive win shares for three consecutive seasons.

She recorded five games with double-digit steals this season, including a remarkable 16 steals against Akron on November 12.

This article was written by Patrick Andres, a staff writer for Sports Illustrated.