McDaniel Earns Spot on 2026 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Midseason Watch List

HOPEWELL, N.J. – Peyton McDaniel of James Madison women’s basketball was named one of 15 members of the midseason watch list for the 2026 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats on Wednesday morning.
 
McDaniel – the Sun Belt Conference leading scorer at 18.1 points per game – is in the midst of another historic season as the Dukes enter the halfway point of their conference slate. The guard has also brought down 7.5 rebounds per outing, while recording a career-best 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals.
 
The redshirt senior recently became the fourth member of the program’s 2,000-point club, with her 2,030 points ranking third among all active Division I players. A threat from behind the line, McDaniel has knocked down 307 career three-pointers, the second most by any active Division I player, trailing only Destiny Leo (UNLV) with 348.
 
The Becky Hammon Award was first given out in 2020, and Harvard’s Harmoni Turner won the most recent award in 2025.
 
This year’s midseason list includes representatives from 15 teams and 13 conferences. Two conferences – the A-10 and Summit League – placed two players on the watch list. South Dakota State’s Brooklyn Meyer is the lone player making their second appearance on a midseason watch list this season, previously being named to the 2025 iteration.
 
To be eligible for this award, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be “mid-major.” The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Additionally, players from Oregon State and Washington State remain ineligible this year. The 25-player preseason watch list was announced in October, and 10 semifinalists will be announced in February. The five finalists will be announced in early March, with the winner announced around the Final Four. The list is fluid, and players may play their way on or off it over the course of the season.
 
About Beck Hammon
Hammon was a three-time All-American at Colorado State and led the Rams to the Sweet 16 in 1999, the program’s only appearance to date. She was signed by the New York Liberty in 1999 and traded to the San Antonio Stars in 2007, where she played the rest of her career. Hammon retired in 2014 as a six-time All-Star and a two-time All-WNBA First Team honoree. In 2016, she was named one of the top 20 players in WNBA history and was named to the W25 in 2021.
 
Hammon became the second female coach in NBA history when she began coaching for the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. Additionally, Hammon is the only woman to be a head coach in the NBA Summer League and the only woman to be a member of an NBA All-Star coaching staff. Currently, Hammon is the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces and has won the 2022, 2023, and 2025 WNBA Championships.
 
Midseason Watch List Representatives
Meredith Mayes, Abilene Christian, Jr., C
Kaety L’Amoreaux, Fairfield, Jr., G
Rhema Collins, FIU, Jr., G
Zahirah Walton, George Mason, R-Jr., F
Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga, R-Fr., F
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison, R-Sr., G
Taylee Chirrick, Montana St., So., G
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks, Murray St., Jr., F
Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Jr., G
Avery Koenen, North Dakota St., Jr., F
Maggie Doogan, Richmond, Sr., F
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota St., Sr., F
Jada Wynn, UC Irvine, Sr., G
Nikola Priede, Vermont, Sr., C
Mia Nicastro, Western Ill., Sr., F