Penn State center Gracie Merkle (44) and UCLA forward Kendall Dudley reach for a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jayne Kamin-Oncea)

UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State women’s basketball’s player Gracie Merkle earned a spot on the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watchlist on Friday.

This award honors the best centers in women’s college basketball and is presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The national center of the year award is one of five of the Naismith Starting Five honors awarded annually.

Last season, Mearkle led the team in scoring and rebounding for the entire 2024-25 campaign. The 6-foot-6 center finished the season with 433 points, averaging 15.5 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game. She also finished with a .670 field goal percentage, the best in Lady Lions history.

Her Penn State record-breaking shooting percentage ranked third in the country and first in the conference at the conclusion of the campaign.

The Kentucky native scored in double figures 23 times, including a 12-game streak of scoring 10-or-more points to open the season last year. Along with double-digit points, Merkle notched double figure rebounding in 14 games to compile 12 double doubles. Her best outing of the campaign came in an overtime win against Drexel, where she posted 31 points and 11 rebounds.

Merkle and the rest of the Lady Lions begin the 2025-26 season on Monday against Bucknell at 5 p.m. in Rec Hall.