ATLANTA – BYU's Delaney Gibb was named to the 2025-26 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Trophy Watch List presented by AXIA Time, the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors announced on Thursday.
The Naismith Women's Player of the Year Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to the women's college basketball player of the year. A national voting academy of leading basketball coaches, administrators and journalists narrows the group down to four finalists based on player performance throughout the season. The final four Naismith finalists will make up the ballot and the player of the year is voted on by the group.
Gibb is one of seven Big 12 players named to the 50-player preseason watchlist. The reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year is joined by Iowa State's Addy Brown and Audi Crooks, Oklahoma State's Stailee Heard, Baylor's Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, S'Mya Nichols of Kansas and TCU's Olivia Miles. Gibb isn't the only Cougar to be named to a national watch list today, as she joins AJ Dybantsa, who was named to the NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List this morning.
During the 2024-25 season, Gibb led the Cougars in scoring at 17.4 points per game, the third-highest scoring average in the country by a freshman. She also finished fifth among freshmen in field goal (.453) and 3-point percentage (.395) and led BYU with 124 assists, 4.1 per contest, the seventh-highest mark nationally among freshmen.
The rising sophomore recorded 10 games of 20 or more points, including games of 25 against Arizona State, 26 at Washington State and a 36-point outing against rival Utah, on the road. In the game against the Utes, Gibb turned in a 36-point, 10-rebound double-double on 13-of-18 shooting from the floor and a 5-for-7 mark from deep. She also recorded five assists, two steals and a block.
The Raymond, Alberta native was unanimously named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year by conference coaches after garnering the second-most Big 12 Freshman of the Week awards, as she was honored in 10 of the season's 16 weeks.
Following her historic freshman season, Gibb immediately got back to work to prepare for her sophomore campaign. The proud Canadian spent the summer with the Canadian Senior National Team, making her debut at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. In seven games in Chile, Gibb averaged 9.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists en route to a 6-1 record. In the bronze medal game against Argentina, Gibb recorded the game-winning assist to Michigan guard Syla Swords, who was also named to the Naismith Player of the Year Watchlist, to secure the bronze medal for Canada.
Canada wins bronze at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup after defeating Argentina in double OT. Syla Swords scored the game-winning field goal on an inbound pass from Delaney Gibb.
— Posther Hoops (@postherhoops) July 7, 2025
🇨🇦 Syla Swords - 23 PTS l 6 REB l 3 STL
🇨🇦 Sami Hill - 16 PTS l 6 REB l 4/8 FG
🇨🇦 Kayla Alexander -… pic.twitter.com/r7635aAFb7
Gibb will open her sophomore season as the Cougars take on Coastal Carolina at 7 p.m. MT on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at the Marriott Center. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. Fans can also listen to the game on BYU Radio 107.9, byuradio.org and the BYU Radio App.
| 2025-26 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Trophy Watch List Presented by AXIA Time | ||
| Delaney Gibb, BYU | Nunu Agara, Stanford | Raegan Beers, UCLA |
| Lauren Betts, UCLA | Maikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt | Madison Booker, Texas |
| Zoe Brooks, NC State | Addy Brown, Iowa State | Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State |
| Aaliyah Chavez, Oklahoma | Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee | Audi Crooks, Iowa State |
| Jazzy Davidson, USC | Maggie Doogan, Richmond | Joyce Edwards, South Carolina |
| Skylar Forbes, Marquette | Toby Fournier, Duke | Azzi Fudd, UConn |
| MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU | Yarden Garzon, Maryland | Rori Harmon, Texas |
| Stailee Heard, Oklahoma St. | Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame | Ashlon Jackson, Duke |
| Flau'Jae Johnson, LSU | Kymora Johnson, Virginia | Raven Johnson, South Carolina |
| Reniya Kelly, North Carolina | Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA | Ta'Niya Latson, South Carolina |
| Charlisse Leger-Walker, UCLA | Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, Baylor | Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss |
| Olivia Miles, TCU | S'Mya Nichols, Kansas | Olivia Olson, Michigan |
| Khamil Pierre, NC State | Kiki Rice, UCLA | Tajianna Roberts, Louisville |
| Kaylene Smikle, Maryland | Kennedy Smith, USC | Clara Strack, Kentucky |
| Sarah Strong, UConn | Hannah Stuelke, Iowa | Syla Swords, Michigan |
| Grace VanSlooten, Michigan St. | Payton Verhulst, Oklahoma | Mikaylah Williams, LSU |
| Serah Williams, UConn | Laura Ziegler, Louisville | |