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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Photo by: Brendall Vargas/University of Oklahoma
Beers Selected as Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award Finalist
March 07, 2025 | Women's Basketball
NORMAN – Oklahoma junior Raegan Beers has been named one of five finalists for the prestigious Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Friday.
A dominant presence in the paint, Beers leads the Sooners in scoring (17.8 PPG), rebounding (8.9 RPG) and blocks (1.1 BPG) this season. A first-team All-SEC selection, she was also a finalist for the honor last year while at Oregon State.
Beers has recorded 11 double-doubles this season, the most by a Sooner in a single season since Joanna McFarland's 14 in 2012-13. The most efficient player in the country, she is the only player nationwide averaging 31.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per 40 minutes and leads the SEC in player efficiency rating. Among all Lisa Leslie Award finalists, she tops the list in both points and rebounds per 40 minutes.
Beers is the first SEC player in more than 25 years to average at least 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoot 65% from the field while playing fewer than 22 minutes per game in the regular season. She also became the first Sooner since Courtney Paris to post back-to-back 30-point games, doing so against Vanderbilt and Arkansas while shooting 85% in those contests.
On the biggest stages, Beers has delivered, averaging 18.4 points on 70.2% shooting, 9.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game against teams ranked or receiving votes in the AP Top 25. In Oklahoma's win over DePaul, she became the first Sooner ever – and just the third player nationally since 1999 – to record 15 points, eight rebounds and 100% shooting (minimum six attempts) in under 15 minutes. Against LSU, she went 8 for 8 from the floor, becoming just the second player since 1999 – joining Ruthy Hebard (Oregon) – to record multiple 20-point games against top-25 teams while making at least eight field goals without a miss. She first accomplished the feat last season against Utah while at Oregon State.
The nation's top transfer, Beers arrived in Norman after two standout seasons with the Beavers, where she was an All-American and helped lead them to the Elite Eight in 2024. This season, she has led No. 10 Oklahoma to a 24-6 record and the Sooners will take on No. 12 Kentucky in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal on Friday.
Now in its eighth year, the Lisa Leslie Award honors the top center in Division I women's basketball. Named after the three-time All-American, 1994 national player of the year and Hall of Famer, the award has been won by stars such as Cameron Brink (2024), Aliyah Boston (2020-23), Megan Gustafson (2019) and A'ja Wilson (2018). The selection panel includes media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Finalists
Audi Crooks, Iowa State
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Sedona Prince, TCU
Taylor Jones, Texas
Lauren Betts, UCLA
A dominant presence in the paint, Beers leads the Sooners in scoring (17.8 PPG), rebounding (8.9 RPG) and blocks (1.1 BPG) this season. A first-team All-SEC selection, she was also a finalist for the honor last year while at Oregon State.
Beers has recorded 11 double-doubles this season, the most by a Sooner in a single season since Joanna McFarland's 14 in 2012-13. The most efficient player in the country, she is the only player nationwide averaging 31.0 points and 16.0 rebounds per 40 minutes and leads the SEC in player efficiency rating. Among all Lisa Leslie Award finalists, she tops the list in both points and rebounds per 40 minutes.
Beers is the first SEC player in more than 25 years to average at least 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoot 65% from the field while playing fewer than 22 minutes per game in the regular season. She also became the first Sooner since Courtney Paris to post back-to-back 30-point games, doing so against Vanderbilt and Arkansas while shooting 85% in those contests.
On the biggest stages, Beers has delivered, averaging 18.4 points on 70.2% shooting, 9.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 blocks per game against teams ranked or receiving votes in the AP Top 25. In Oklahoma's win over DePaul, she became the first Sooner ever – and just the third player nationally since 1999 – to record 15 points, eight rebounds and 100% shooting (minimum six attempts) in under 15 minutes. Against LSU, she went 8 for 8 from the floor, becoming just the second player since 1999 – joining Ruthy Hebard (Oregon) – to record multiple 20-point games against top-25 teams while making at least eight field goals without a miss. She first accomplished the feat last season against Utah while at Oregon State.
The nation's top transfer, Beers arrived in Norman after two standout seasons with the Beavers, where she was an All-American and helped lead them to the Elite Eight in 2024. This season, she has led No. 10 Oklahoma to a 24-6 record and the Sooners will take on No. 12 Kentucky in the SEC Tournament quarterfinal on Friday.
Now in its eighth year, the Lisa Leslie Award honors the top center in Division I women's basketball. Named after the three-time All-American, 1994 national player of the year and Hall of Famer, the award has been won by stars such as Cameron Brink (2024), Aliyah Boston (2020-23), Megan Gustafson (2019) and A'ja Wilson (2018). The selection panel includes media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Finalists
Audi Crooks, Iowa State
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Sedona Prince, TCU
Taylor Jones, Texas
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Players Mentioned
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