INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) - The United States Basketball Writers Association announced the preseason watch list for the 2025-26 Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year award and Navy's Zanai Barnett-Gay was spotlighted as one of 50 players currently under considered for the honor of being named the nation's best.

After putting together two of the most successful seasons in Navy women's basketball history and influential in the NCAA ranks over 2023-24 and 2024-25, Barnett-Gay is heading into this season looking to break more records. The talented guard began her career by registering 546 points and setting the program's freshman scoring mark on her way to winning the Patriot League Rookie of the Year accolade and earning a spot on the All-Patriot League First Team. In year two with the Midshipmen, Barnett-Gay improved her game further and took over the top spot for all-time sophomore scoring in program history with 589 points. She was recognized by the Patriot League as the conference's 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year and with a second consecutive spot on the All-Patriot League First Team. On the strength of 46 straight games with 10 or more points to start her career, she set the Navy record for fastest DI player to 1,000 points as she accomplished the feat in just 53 games. Through 61 career games she's accumulated 1,135 points for a 18.61 points per game scoring average. Among all active NCAA DI players in 2024-25 that career scoring average ranked 11th best and looking forward to the 2025-26 she'll move up to seventh in the rankings as four players have graduated off that list.

Not just a scorer, Barnett-Gay comes into 2025-26 with additional career averages of 6.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.6 steals over 34.6 minutes of action per game. 

Of the 50 players named to the 2025-26 Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year Award Preseason Watch List, Barnett-Gay is one of just nine student-athletes from non-Power 4 conferences. She's been on the USBWA radar since her freshman season when she was named the organization's Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week on Nov. 28, 2023. Moving onto her sophomore season, Barnett-Gay was chosen as one of five USBWA National Players of the Week on Jan. 14, 2025 and later to the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award Midseason Watch List in February of 2025. 

Barnett-Gay and the Navy women's basketball team kicks off its 2025-26 season on Friday night with a road matchup at the University of Delaware. Tip-off at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark is set for 7 p.m.

About USBWA
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for both individual awards, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA. The winners of the 2026 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year and Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA's annual awards event on site at the 2026 NCAA Women's Final Four in Phoenix. Additionally, the USBWA has selected a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season.