October 30, 2026 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE — The Huskies' dynamic backcourt duo of Sayvia Sellers and Avery Howell were both named to the 2026-27 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Women's Player of the Year Watch List, Naismith Awards announced Thursday.
The prestigious postseason award recognizes the nation's top women's basketball player each year.
Senior guard Sayvia Sellers is coming off a standout season in which she earned unanimous All-Big Ten First Team honors from conference coaches after averaging 18.0 points and 3.9 assists per game.
Her 2025-26 campaign also earned her a spot on the Naismith Trophy Women's Player of the Year Late-Season Team. Sellers collected two USBWA Player of the Week awards, one coming off her career-best 38-point performance against No. 16 Maryland. She also earned Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week honors after recording 30 points in the Huskies' 72-61 road victory over Utah.
Avery Howell enjoyed a breakout sophomore season, leading the Big Ten in defensive rebounds per game (6.8) while shooting over 43% from beyond the arc. She averaged 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention recognition. Howell also earned USBWA National Player of the Week honors following a 22-point, 16-rebound performance in the Huskies' upset of No. 6 Michigan.
In their first season as teammates, Sellers and Howell combined to average 32.2 points per game last year, ranking 10th nationally among all Division I duos.
