HOPEWELL, N.J. – Two of the top stars in HBCU women’s basketball, Norfolk State’s Diamond Johnson and Coppin State’s Laila Lawrence have landed on the midseason 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year watchlist.
The midseason list includes representatives from 15 teams and 10 conferences. Five conferences placed two players on the list (A-10, MEAC, Mountain West, Missouri Valley, and Summit League). The Becky Hammon Award, named for the current head coach of the two-time WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces and Top 25 player in league history, was first given out in 2020. To be eligible for this award, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be “mid-major,” and does not include athletes from the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC. Ten semifinalists will be announced in February, five finalists in early March and the winner around the Final Four.
Diamind Johnson is averaging 18.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.4 steals per game this season. She has also been named MEAC Player of the Week five times, along with HBCU+ Women’s Basketball Player of the Week twice, USBWA Player of the Week, and BOXTOROW HBCU National Player of the Week this season.
Laila Lawrence, a 6-foot-2 senior from Lewisville, Texas, is averaging 16.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.4 blocks in 20 games this season. Lawrence ranks second nationally with 11 double-doubles and is the only player in all of NCAA Division I to average 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. She currently leads the MEAC in rebounds while ranking second in points, steals and blocks, and sixth in assists.
The reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-Conference selection, Lawrence posted 20-point games against defending national champions South Carolina, along with Virginia Tech, Virginia and Arizona State. Lawrence also had a season-high 27 points against Maine and 21 points at GW. She’s scored in double figures in all but one game this season, had a pair of games with seven assists, 16 multi-steal games and nine multi-block efforts.
CSU won a program-record nine non-conference games with historic victories against Arizona State and George Washington University. The Eagles currently stand at 11-9 overall and 2-2 in the MEAC.
Midseason Watchlist for 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award
- Ally Becki, Ball State, Sr., G
- Emma Ronsiek, Colorado State, Gr., F
- Laila Lawrence, Coppin State, Sr., F
- Katie Dinnebier, Drake, Sr., G
- Megan McConnell, Duquesne, Sr., G
- Mia Jacobs, Fresno State, Jr., F
- Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga, Gr., F
- Harmoni Turner, Harvard, Sr., G
- Diamond Johnson, Norfolk State, Gr., G
- Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph’s, Jr., F
- Grace Larkins, South Dakota, Sr., G
- Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota St., Jr., F
- Kayla Cooper, UAlbany, Gr., F
- Maya McDermott, UNI, Sr., G
- Jordyn Jenkins, UTSA, R-Sr., F