COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award Watch List, presented by Her Hoop Stats, was announced Wednesday morning and listed three Mountain West Women’s Basketball Players. Among the 25 student-athletes named to the prestigious list were Colorado State’s McKenna Hofschild, UNLV’s Desi-Rae Young, and Wyoming’s Allyson Fertig.

Hofschild led the Rams and the Mountain West last season averaging 20.6 points and 7.2 assist per game, while shooting 48.8 percent. The Minnesota native also became the only player in program history to record back-to-back 200+ assist seasons and was named an Associated Press All-American – the first for the program since Becky Hammon. The senior was named the Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year earlier this month after capping the 2022-23 season by being named the Mountain West Player of the Year. Hofschild was also member of the 2023 Preseason, Midseason and Semifinalist lists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award.

– Courtesy of Colorado State Athletics

Young, who was named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team earlier this month, also garnered All-Mountain West honors and was the MW Tournament MVP last season. The senior returns to the Watch List after being a semifinalist in 2023. Young averaged a double-double with 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last season. She sat among the top 15 in the nation for double-doubles, field-goal percentage and field goals made, as well as the top 25 in rebounds per game last season.

Fertig, who was named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team earlier this month, was an All-Mountain West Team member a season ago. Fertig averaged 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in 2022-23 and shot nearly 59 percent from the field. Fertig scored in double figures 22 times a season ago and had six contests with 20-or-more points. She also tallied 11 double-digit rebound games and had nine double-doubles.

– Courtesy of Wyoming Athletics

The Becky Hammon Award is named for the three-time All-American during her career at Colorado State. She led the Rams to the Sweet 16 in 1999 and signed with the New York Liberty that same year, was traded to the San Antonio Stars in 2007 where she finished her playing career in 2014. At the time of retirement, she was a six-time All-Star and a two-time All-WNBA First Team honoree.

Hammon began coaching for the San Antonio Spurs in 2014, becoming the second female to coach in NBA history. She is also the only woman to be a head coach in the NBA Summer League and the only female on the NBA All-Star coaching staff. Hammon has continued her coaching career and is currently leading the Las Vegas Aces, who have won back-to-back WNBA Championships, in 2022 and 2023.