The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Women’s Basketball’s Harmon, Booker named to Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
01.27.2026 | Women's Basketball
Harmon earns spot on watch list for fourth time, Booker earns first selection.
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas women's basketball All-Americans and National Player of the Year candidates Rori Harmon and Madison Booker earned recognition by being selected to the 2026 Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club/Naismith Awards announced on Tuesday.
Harmon, a semifinalist for the award in 2024-25 and former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year is on the watch list for the fourth time in her career. Harmon already has broken the Texas career assists record and is seven steals from breaking the Texas career steals record. Harmon has 340 career steals and is closing in on the record of 346, set in 1980 by Linda Waggoner.
Booker is averaging 2.6 steals per game and has had six games with at least four steals. Booker has also recorded 15 blocked shots on the season and is second on the team in rebounds at 7.0 per game.
The defensive excellence by Harmon and Booker and their teammates have led to Texas currently being ranked fifth in the NCAA and first in the SEC in scoring defense, giving up only 53.0 points per game to opponents this season. Texas also leads the SEC in turnovers forced per game at 24.14 per game.
