Keeping It Heel
Fansided

UNC Women’s Basketball: Gakdeng named to Leslie Award Watch List

By Nick Delahanty

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 02: Maria Gakdeng #5 of the Boston College Eagles moves the ball against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half of their game in the second round of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 02, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 02: Maria Gakdeng #5 of the Boston College Eagles moves the ball against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half of their game in the second round of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 02, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Heading into her first season with the UNC women’s basketball, Maria Gakdeng is expected to be one of the nation’s best centers.

The Lisa Leslie Award is an award presented annually to the best center in women’s basketball. It is named after Leslie, who had a Hall of Fame career over 12 seasons in the WNBA.

On Friday, the watch list for the 2023-2024 season was released, as the UNC women’s basketball program is represented by one of its incoming transfers.

Maria Gakdeng is one of 20 centers to make the cut, as she’s just one of three ACC student-athletes to make the preseason watch list. A transfer from Boston College, Gakdeng is expected to make an immediate impact for Courtney Banghart’s team this upcoming season.

During her two seasons at Boston College, Gakdeng developed a reputation for being a tremendous defender and shot blocker.

As a sophomore last season, Gakdeng averaged 11.3 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting an impressive .578 from the floor. To put her shooting percentage into perspective, she would have ranked second in the ACC if she met the required amount of games played to be included. She ranked third in the conference in blocks, as she was also in the top 20 in scoring and rebounding.

The UNC women’s basketball program has developed a deep frontcourt, as Gakdeng is expected to help anchor a Tar Heels team that looks to improve defensively this season. Gakdeng’s presence could take the Tar Heels’ defense to another level, as being inserted into North Carolina’s rotation could lead to her individual numbers (especially on the offensive side of the ball) increasing as well.

Next. Don't forget about this UNC Women's Basketball transfer!. dark

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on X (formerly Twitter) and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC women’s basketball news, updates, and recruiting.

Home/UNC Womens Basketball