Nestor Chosen to Lisa Leslie Award Preseason Watchlist
10/31/2025 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The award recognizes the best center in women’s college basketball
DENTON, Texas – UNT women's basketball senior Megan Nestor was named to the 2025-26 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award Preseason Top 20 Watchlist, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday.
Nestor is one of 20 players on the list that annually recognizes the top centers in Division I women's basketball. The list will remain fluid as the season progresses, giving players the opportunity to move on and off the list until the Final 5 are selected. The list will narrow down to 10 players in late January, with the Final 5 being announced in March. The award winner and presentation details will be revealed at the Final Four in Indianapolis.
She arrived at North Texas this offseason following a decorated career at Wayland Baptist University where she dominated the NAIA ranks in her last two seasons.
Her breakout started as a sophomore when she posted 15.9 points and 13.5 rebounds per game en route to being named an NAIA Third Team All-American and a First Team All-Conference selection. Nestor also tallied 34 blocks and 59 steals, earning the title of Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
She followed it up with a stellar junior season, averaging 20.5 points and 13.4 rebounds per game to lead Wayland Baptist to the second round of the NAIA Women's Basketball Championships. She ranked third in the NAIA with a .635 field goal percentage and was eighth in rebounding, earning First Team All-Conference and All-America honors.
Nestor's selection marks the second season in-a-row the Mean Green have been represented on the preseason watchlist. Tommisha Lampkin was the first player in program history to land on the list prior to the 2024-25 season. UNT is one of nine schools to have a player on the list in each of the last two seasons.
North Texas is set to begin the regular season Monday night against Oklahoma Christian at 5:30 p.m., inside The Super Pit.
Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award Preseason Watchlist
Lara Rohkohl, BYU
Sakima Walker, California
Audi Crooks, Iowa State
Clara Strack, Kentucky
Laura Ziegler, Louisville
Kate Koval, LSU
Ra Shaya Kyle, Miami
Ashley Sofilkanich, Michigan
Tilda Trygger, NC State
Megan Nestor, North Texas
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Gracie Merkle, Penn State
Madina Okot, South Carolina
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State
Kennedy Umeh, Stanford
Breya Cunningham, Texas
Lauren Ware, Texas A&M
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Serah Williams, UConn
Aalyah Del Rosario, Vanderbilt
