News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Texas A&M women’s basketball’s Aicha Coulibaly was named to the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award Preseason Watchlist, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
The watchlist features 20 of the best small forwards in the country. Coulibaly makes the preseason list for the second-straight year and was named to the 2024 All-SEC Preseason Second Team by the league coaches last week.
The fifth-year senior enters her second season with the Aggies after leading the squad in points (13.6), steals (2.3) and field goal percentage (52.4%) last year. Coulibaly was one of four players in the country last season to average at least 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting over 50% from the field.
Coulibaly helped lead the Maroon & White to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021 during the 2023-24 campaign. Over the last two games of the season against the eventual National Champion South Carolina Gamecocks and Nebraska Huskers, the Bamako, Mali, native averaged 28.0 points and shot over 60% from the field. Against the Huskers, Coulibaly nearly mounted a 17-point comeback after scoring all 26 of her points in the second half.
Coulibaly and the Aggies begin the season Monday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. inside Reed Arena against A&M-Corpus Christi. Fans can support the program by joining the Aggie Fast Break Club and by purchasing season tickets for the upcoming year.
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in fan voting starting Friday, Nov. 1. In late January, the watch list of 20 players for the 2025 Cheryl Miller Awards will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February, to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Miller, and the Hall of Fame’s selection committees, where winners will be selected. The selection committee for the Cheryl Miller Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2025 Miller Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. For more information on the 2025 Cheryl Miller Award and the latest updates, visit hoophallawards.com and follow @hoophallu and #MillerAward on X and Instagram
Cheryl Miller Award Preseason Watchlist
NAME |
SCHOOL |
Madison Booker |
Texas |
Cotie McMahon |
Ohio State |
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs |
Baylor |
Alyssa Ustby |
North Carolina |
Yarden Garzon |
Indiana |
Aicha Coulibaly |
Texas A&M |
Angela Dugalic |
UCLA |
Aubrey Griffin |
UConn |
Grace VanSlooten |
Michigan State |
Gianna Kneepkens |
Utah |
Madison Scott |
Ole Miss |
Lior Garzon |
Colorado |
Sacha Washington |
Vanderbilt |
Temira Poindexter |
Kansas State |
Sarah Ashlee Barker |
Alabama |
Saylor Poffenbarger |
Maryland |
Sahara Williams |
Oklahoma |
Sarah Strong |
UConn |
Jordan Obi |
Kentucky |
Maryam Dauda |
South Carolina |