USD's Larkins Selected To Becky Hammon Player of the Year Watch L

HOPEWELL, N.J.—South Dakota junior guard Grace Larkins has been named to the 25-player preseason watch list for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year presented by Her Hoop Stats.

South Dakota is one of four programs (Drake, Gonzaga, Princeton) that have now placed four different players on at least one watch list since the award’s inception. Ciara Duffy was the inaugural winner in 2020, Hannah Sjerven was a finalist in 2021, and Sjerven joined Chloe Lamb on the watch list in 2022.

Larkins is coming off a remarkable season where she became the first player in Summit League history to rank in the top three in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. No player had ever ranked in the top five in all four categories prior to last season.

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Hailing from Altoona, Iowa, Larkins joined consensus National Player of the Year Caitlin Clark as the only player in the nation to average at least 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game last season. Larkins had eight double-doubles and flirted with a triple-double six times, twice coming within one assist. She has also been named to the Summit League’s all-preseason team.

The season tips off November 6 as the Coyotes host Northern State inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center at 5:30 p.m. Season and single-game tickets are available now on GoYotes.com.

About the Becky Hammon Award

The Becky Hammon Award is designed to recognize the best mid-major player in women’s basketball. It is named for South Dakota basketball legend Becky Hammon, who became the first full-time female coach in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. She took over as the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and has won back-to-back WNBA titles in her first two seasons. Hammon spent 16 years playing in the WNBA and her last eight with the San Antonio Stars, where her number was retired in 2016. She was a six-time WNBA All-Star.

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Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli