Ottawa’s Achol Akot on watch list for top NCAA women’s basketball forward

SPRINGFIELD — Ottawa’s Achol Akot was named to the pre-season watch list for the 2027 Cheryl Miller Award, which honours the top small forward in NCAA Division I women’s basketball, on Wednesday.

The six-foot-one senior is entering her first season with 12th-ranked North Carolina after transferring from Oklahoma State.

The 22-year-old Akot averaged 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds in 2025-26, shooting 63.3 per cent from the field to rank sixth nationally.

She earned an honourable mention on the All-Big 12 team after recording 21 games with double-digit points and six double-doubles in 34 starts.

Akot, who helped Canada win bronze at the 2023 FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Cup, opens the season Monday with North Carolina against No. 21 Oklahoma in Paris.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 20 candidates, with the list to be trimmed to 10 in February and five finalists in March.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2026.

The Canadian Press