Miami Forward Named to Lisa Leslie Award Watch List
In this story:
University of Miami graduate transfer Ra Shaya Kyle was named to the Lisa Leslie Award Watch List for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday.
The award is presented annually to the nation’s best center in Division I women’s basketball.
A transfer from Florida, Kyle was in the SEC’s top 10 for rebounding at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Kyle also led Florida in field goal percentage, yielding a 59.5 percent.
A walking double-double, the Marion, Indiana, native hit double figures in both scoring and rebounding in more than 50 percent of her contests at Florida.
Miami tips off the season Monday, welcoming Hofstra to the Watsco Center for a 5 p.m. tip.
Full List of the 2026 Lisa Leslie Award Candidates*
Lara Rohkohl
BYU
Sakima Walker
Cal
Audi Crooks
Iowa State
Clara Strack
Kentucky
Laura Ziegler
Louisville
Kate Koval
LSU
Ra Shayla 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
Last season was a down year for both basketball programs. For Miami's women's basketball, it was Tricia Cullop's first season after spending years at Toledo.
She did not have a lot of transfers in, but she dealt with the fallout of the Cavinder Twin era and is now building the program how she sees fit.
With a top ten high school recruiting class and a top 15 transfer portal class, Cullop is on pace to improve the program and return it to its consistent former self as an ACC Championship contender and NCAA tournament resident.
Tricia, you brought in the 15th ranked portal class consisting of seven players and combined that with the No. 10 ranked freshman class by ESPN-W. A lot of excitement in Miami right now. What should we expect from this team?
Number one, we're bigger, faster, and stronger, which is music to my ears because this league is that.Secondly, we can play fast offensively, and we can play aggressive defensively. We have the depth to sustain the level of play that we want to. That will be exciting for our fans.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
Follow all social media platforms to stay up to date with everything Miami Hurricanes-related: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, and BlueSky.
Read More Miami Hurricanes News:
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.