Mississippi State’s Madison Francis Named to 2026 Naismith Defensive Player Watchlist

STARKVILLE — Madison Francis, a top defender for Mississippi State, has been named to the 2026 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year watchlist. She is one of 25 student-athletes and one of four freshmen nationwide to earn the recognition, according to school officials.

Francis leads the Southeastern Conference with an average of 3.0 blocks per game and also averages 1.5 steals. She is the only player in the country to average both totals this season. The freshman has recorded four games with six or more blocks, the most in the nation, including her collegiate debut against Davidson, where she rejected six shots. She set a career high with seven blocks against Charlotte on Dec. 7.

She has three or more blocks in 12 games, ranking third in the nation for most games with such performance and the top among freshmen players. Francis also shines defensively in steals, with a career-high seven steals against Alabama, making her the only player to have seven blocks and seven steals in different games this season.

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