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

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.All eyes on our B1G freshman 🤝@McKennaDub x #Hawkeyespic.twitter.com/Gu75DB1Iqh— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) October 29, 2026A 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 - IowaNunu Agara — MarylandMeghan Andersen — FairfieldCarys Baker — LouisvilleJaliya Davis — KansasSkylar Forbes — West VirginiaToby Fournier — DukeMadison Francis — Mississippi StateSophie Glancey — Santa ClaraFatmata Janneh — TennesseeZaKiyah Johnson — LSUChloe Kitts — South CarolinaGrace Oliver — Boston CollegeMe'Arah O'Neal — KentuckyCearah Parchment — IllinoisKhamil Pierre — NC StateSa'Myah Smith — OklahomaLara Somfai — TCUSarah Strong — UConnLauren Whittaker — GonzagaContact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNewsThis article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa's McKenna Woliczko named to Katrina McClain Award watch list