No. 4 Indiana women’s basketball star senior forward Mackenzie Holmes was named the top 10 finalists for the Lisa Leslie Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced on Friday afternoon. The Lisa Leslie Award is given to the best center in women’s college basketball.
Holmes has validated the nomination with the best season of her Hoosier career. She currently averages 22.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game on 69.2% field goal percentage. Holmes’ points average ranks seventh in the nation and her shooting percentage ranks second in the country.
Holmes’ stock has skyrocketed in Big Ten play. The star senior has erupted on a scoring stretch, averaging 26.5 points per game over Indiana’s last six contests. Three of those games came against ranked opponents: then-No. 21 Illinois, then-No. 13 Michigan and then-No. 2 Ohio State.
The nomination from the Lisa Leslie Award is one of many Holmes has received this season, including recently being named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 Watch List.
Holmes is one of three Big Ten players named to the Lisa Leslie Award top 10, joining Iowa fifth-year center Monika Czinano and Nebraska sophomore center Alexis Markowski.
