Brit Prince Earns Naismith Trophy Watch List Spot for Nebraska
The 5-foot-11 guard becomes the sixth Husker to make the list, following a season where she led the Big Ten in scoring and set school records.
By Samuel Peterson ·
Nebraska guard Brit Prince was named to the Naismith Trophy Women's College Player of the Year Watch List Top 50 on Thursday. The announcement places the junior in a group of elite candidates for the national award, a distinction few players in the Big Ten achieve.
Prince is the first five-star recruit in Nebraska women's basketball history since player ratings began two decades ago. Her impact was immediate during her freshman year, where she averaged 13.4 points, 4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. She earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors and was named Nebraska's Female Freshman Athlete of the Year.
During her sophomore season, Prince led the team in scoring with 17.9 points per game, as well as in assists and steals. She recorded two 30-point games against Oral Roberts and Virginia in November 2025. One of only two players in the country, she posted a 50-40-90 shooting split, hitting 53.5% from the field, 45.7% from three-point range, and 91.2% from the free-throw line. She also set a school record with 56 consecutive made free throws.
Prince helped lead the Huskers to their third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. In the two post-season games, she averaged 24.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and two blocks. Her 27 points against No. 21 Baylor represent the second-highest scoring total by a Husker in NCAA tournament history.
In early 2026 exhibition play, Prince scored 27 points in a closed scrimmage at Kansas State. In a televised game against Wayne State, she recorded 15 points, four assists, and three steals in 26 minutes of play. Nebraska opens its season against San Jose State on November 2 at noon central at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Prince is the sixth Husker to be named to the Naismith Trophy watch list. Alexis Markowski, Jaz Shelley, Jordan Hooper, and Kelsey Griffin are the previous recipients. No Nebraska player has yet won the award. Hooper was part of the Mid-Season Team in three years, while Griffin was a national finalist in 2010.
The Naismith Trophy is named after Dr. James Naismith and is awarded to the best men's and women's college basketball player of the year. The award expanded to include female players in 1983. The candidate list will narrow to a Mid-Season Team of 30 in February, with four national finalists determined in March. The winner is announced during Final Four weekend, with 75% of the vote coming from coaches, administrators, and journalists, and 25% from a fan vote.
Source: KOIL
