North Carolina State University Athletics
Khamil Pierre Named to Naismith College Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist
1/27/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ATLANTA – Khamil Pierre of the NC State women's basketball team has been named one of 25 players to the 2026 Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Watchlist, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club Tuesday.
Pierre is one of five players in the ACC and 25 in the country on this list. She was named to the midseason list while she was at Vanderbilt a season ago. Pierre is the first player since Elissa Cunane in 2022 to be tabbed to the watchlist for this award at NC State. Cunane was one of 10 semifinalists for the award in 2021.
This season, Pierre has led the Pack with 16.3 points per game and 11.7 rebounds per game. She leads the ACC in rebounds per game and defensive rebounds per game (8.3), which rank sixth and eighth in the country, respectively. Her 12 double-doubles this season mark the second most in the league and eighth most in the country. She is currently ranked No. 12 in school history for single season double-doubles.
Pierre has been a monster on the glass this season, having logged two 20-rebound games. Her 21 rebounds against Green Bay mark the third most in a single game in school history and most since 2018. That 21 rebound performance is the most pulled down by an ACC player this season. She followed that up with 19 points and 20 rebounds at No. 9/9 Oklahoma, being the only Power 4 player with two 20-rebound games this season.
She has 18 double-digit point games, 13 double-digit rebounding games and 12 double-doubles, leading the team in rebounds in 16 games. In less than three years of playing collegiate basketball, Pierre has tallied 717 career rebounds, 145 career steals and 32 double-doubles.
This year, Pierre's honors include:
- Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist (1/27)
- Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watchlist (1/7)
- Cancun Challenge Yucatan MVP and All-Tournament Team (11/28)
- Wooden Award Preseason Watchlist (10/30)
- Wade Award Preseason Watchlist (11/5)
- Ro Greensboro Most Outstanding Player (11/4)
- Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's College Player of the Year Trophy Preseason Watchlist (10/30)
- Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watchlist (10/30)
- ACC Preseason Team (10/14)
NC State will play at Boston College on Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. The game from Conte Forum will be aired on ACC Network.
