North Carolina State University Athletics
10/29/2026 1:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – NC State women's basketball senior Khamil Pierre has been named to the 20-person Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Watch List, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Thursday. The award recognizes the best power forward in women's college basketball.
Pierre was one of five finalists for the award last season. Three of the five finalists from last year, including the 2025-26 winner in Sarah Strong, are on the preseason watch list for this season.
The Phoenix native was named to the 10-person All-ACC Preseason Team. She led the team with 16.7 points and 11.9 rebounds per game while shooting 52.5 percent from the field. She ended the season with 22 double-doubles and 381 rebounds, both ranking second in a single season in program history. Pierre led the ACC in rebounds and double-doubles and was fifth in scoring and sixth in field goal percentage. She ranked third nationally in double-doubles and seventh in rebounding average.
Pierre led the team in points in the paint per game (11.56) and had the second-best overall +/- (282). She recorded 30 double-digit scoring games, finishing the season with 27 consecutive games scoring at least 10 points, the second-longest streak by a Wolfpack player this century. Pierre also added nine 20-point games and 23 double-digit rebounding contests. She surpassed 1,000 career points last season and is entering her senior season with 1,481 points, 864 rebounds, 160 steals and 43 double-doubles.
Last season, Pierre recorded a career-high 21 rebounds with 12 points vs. Green Bay. The 21 boards marked the third-most in a game in school history. Pierre also had a 19-point, 20-rebound performance at Oklahoma. She ended the season with double-doubles in 14 of her last 17 contests.
Pierre earned her first career all-conference team selection, being named to the All-ACC First Team. She was named to the preseason, midseason and final lists for the Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year last year.
The award is named after Katrina McClain, a two-time All-American, the 1987 Naismith Player of the Year and a 2012 Hall of Fame inductee.
Pierre is one of four ACC power forwards on the watch list. The watch list will remain fluid throughout the season, allowing players to move on and off the list until the final five are selected. The list will be trimmed to 10 players in late February, and the final five will be announced in March. The award winner and presentation details will be announced at the men's Final Four in Detroit. Fans will have the opportunity to vote starting on Friday, Oct. 30.
NC State will officially begin the season vs. Wofford on Monday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watch List
Grace Oliver - Boston College
Toby Fournier - Duke
Meghan Anderson - Fairfield
Lauren Whittaker - Gonzaga
Cearah Parchment - Illinois
McKenna Woliczko - Iowa
Jailya Davis - Kansas
Me'Arah O'Neal - Kentucky
Carys Baker - Louisville
ZaKiayah Johnson - LSU
Nunu Agara - Maryland
Madison Francis - Mississippi State
Khamil Pierre - NC State
Sa'Mya Smith - Oklahoma
Sophie Glancey - Santa Clara
Chloe Kitts - South Carolina
Lara Smofai - TCU
Fatmata Janneh - Tennessee
Sarah Strong - UConn
Skylar Forbes - West Virginia
