October 28, 2026 01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. — The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2027 Julius Erving Award and, in partnership with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), the 20 watch-list candidates for the 2027 Cheryl Miller Award. The annual Julius Erving Award, named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer and 17-year professional basketball player, celebrates its 13th year by recognizing the top small forward in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Cheryl Miller Award, in its 10th year, honors the top small forward in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. It is named after the three-time Naismith Player of the Year and Class of 1995 Hall of Famer.
*Players can play their way onto and off the list at any point in the 2026-27 season.
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving, Miller, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committees for the Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
| 2027 Julius Erving Award Candidates* | 2027 Cheryl Miller Award Candidates* | ||
| Amari Allen | Alabama | Achol Akot | North Carolina |
| Bruce Branch III | BYU | Madison Booker | Texas |
| Coen Carr | Michigan State | McKinna Brackens | Arizona State |
| Davis Fogle | Gonzaga | Jalynn Bristow | Texas Tech |
| Amani Hansberry | Virginia Tech | Addy Brown | UCLA |
| Juke Harris | Tennessee | Jadyn Donovan | Duke |
| Thomas Haugh | Florida | Joyce Edwards | South Carolina |
| Shelton Henderson | Miami | Stailee Heard | Oklahoma State |
| Ivan Kharchenkov | Arizona | Skylar Jones | Baylor |
| Nikola Kusturica | UCLA | Bri McDaniel | Maryland |
| Colben Landrew | UConn | Olivia Olson | Michigan |
| Milan Momcilovic | Kentucky | Natalie Potts | Nebraska |
| Billy Richmond III | Arkansas | Blanca Quiñonez | UConn |
| Pryce Sandfort | Nebraska | Mackenly Randolph | Louisville |
| Dame Sarr | Duke | Grace Slaughter | Missouri |
| Andrej Stojakovic | Illinois | Kaylene Smikle | Tennessee |
| Tyran Stokes | Kansas | Berry Wallace | Illinois |
| Anthony Thompson | Ohio State | Zahirah Walton | West Virginia |
| Aiden Tobiason | Syracuse | Mikaylah Williams | LSU |
| Tounde Yessoufou | St. John's | Sahara Williams | Oklahoma |
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting starting Friday, October 30. In February, the watch list of 20 players for the 2027 Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards will be narrowed to 10, then to five in March. In late March, the five finalists will be presented to Erving, Miller, and the Hall of Fame's selection committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committees for the Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards are composed of top men's and women's college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors, and Hall of Famers.
The winners of the 2027 Erving and Miller Awards will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's and Women's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy and Nancy Lieberman Awards (Point Guard), Jerry West and Ann Meyers Drysdale Awards (Shooting Guard), Karl Malone and Katrina McClain Awards (Power Forward), and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lisa Leslie Awards (Center).
Previous winners of the Julius Erving Award include AJ Dybantsa, BYU (2026), Cooper Flagg, Duke (2025), Dalton Knecht, Tennessee (2024), Jalen Wilson, Kansas (2023), Corey Kispert, Gonzaga (2021), Saddiq Bey, Villanova (2020), Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga (2019), Mikal Bridges, Villanova (2018), Josh Hart, Villanova (2017), and Stanley Johnson, Arizona (2015). Previous winners of the Cheryl Miller Award are Madison Booker, Texas (2024-26), Ashley Joens, Iowa State (2021-23), Satou Sabally, Oregon (2020), Bridget Carleton, Iowa State (2019), and Gabby Williams, UConn (2018).
For more information on the 2027 Julius Erving and Cheryl Miller Awards and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu, #ErvingAward, and #MillerAward on X and Instagram.
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981, or call 1-770-279-8027.About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors worldwide. The Hall of Fame museum is home to nearly 500 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Welcoming close to 200,000 visitors each year, the museum invites fans to learn about the game, experience interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates more than 100 high school and collegiate games annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com or follow @hoophallu.Basketball Hall of Fame Media Contact
Nicole Schuermann, Position Sports // mediarelations@positionsports.com
Players Mentioned
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