UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State women’s basketball’s Gracie Merkle earns a spot on the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Preseason Top 20 Watchlist. This prestigious award honors the best centers in women’s college basketball and is presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, highlighting the elite talent in the sport. The national center of the year award is one of five of the Naismith Starting Five honors awarded annually.
Merkle made an immediate impact upon her arrival to Happy Valley last season, leading the team in scoring and rebounding for the entire 2024-25 campaign. The 6’6 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 Mount Washington, Ky. native scored in double figures 23 times in 2024-25 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, Nov. 4 against Bucknell at 5 p.m. in Rec Hall.