LOS ANGELES – Notre Dame sophomore Maddy Westbeld was recognized as one of the best collegiate women’s basketball players in the country on Wednesday evening when the Los Angeles Athletic Club named her to the Wooden Award Midseason Top-25 Watch List. The 6-3 forward out of Kettering, Ohio, is 1-of-4 ACC representatives on the list.
Westbeld leads the No. 20 Fighting Irish in scoring with her 13.8 points per game and she’s still heating up. In fact, she’s notched two 20-point scoring performances over the last five games – during that span she’s shot 27-of-43 (.628) from the field. All-in-all for the season, Westbeld is shooting 53.7 percent from the floor, which ranks third in the ACC. For reference, she shot 46.9 percent during her ACC Rookie of the Year campaign.
Westbeld has started in all 14 games, lifting the Irish to an 11-3 record, with a 2-1 mark in ACC play. Up next, Westbeld and the Fighting Irish host No. 5 NC State on Sunday, Jan. 9, at 2 p.m. ET inside Purcell Pavilion.
Wooden Award 2021-22 Midseason Top 25
| Name | School | Conference | Height | Class | Position |
| Shakira Austin | Mississippi | SEC | 6-5 | Sr. | C |
| Kierstan Bell | Florida Gulf Coast | ASUN | 6-1 | Jr. | G |
| Aliyah Boston* | South Carolina | SEC | 6-5 | Jr. | F |
| Cameron Brink | Stanford | Pac-12 | 6-4 | Soph | F |
| Paige Bueckers** | Connecticut | Big East | 5-11 | Soph | G |
| Caitlin Clark | Iowa | Big Ten | 6-0 | Soph | G |
| Zia Cooke | South Carolina | SEC | 5-9 | Jr. | G |
| Lorela Cubaj | Georgia Tech | ACC | 6-4 | Sr. | F |
| Elissa Cunane | NC State | ACC | 6-5 | Sr. | C |
| Destanni Henderson | South Carolina | SEC | 5-7 | Sr. | G |
| Naz Hillmon | Michigan | Big Ten | 6-2 | Sr. | F |
| Mackenzie Holmes | Indiana | Big Ten | 6-3 | Jr. | F |
| Rhyne Howard* | Kentucky | SEC | 6-2 | Sr. | G |
| Rickea Jackson | Mississippi State | SEC | 6-2 | Jr. | F |
| Ashley Joens | Iowa State | Big 12 | 6-1 | Sr. | G/F |
| Haley Jones | Stanford | Pac-12 | 6-1 | Jr. | G |
| Elizabeth Kitley | Virginia Tech | ACC | 6-6 | Jr. | C |
| Ayoka Lee | Kansas State | Big 12 | 6-6 | Jr. | C |
| Aneesah Morrow | DePaul | Big East | 6-1 | Fr. | F |
| Charisma Osborne | UCLA | Pac-12 | 5-9 | Jr. | G |
| Ashley Owusu | Maryland | Big Ten | 6-0 | Jr. | G |
| Angel Reese | Maryland | Big Ten | 6-3 | Soph | F/G |
| NaLyssa Smith* | Baylor | Big 12 | 6-4 | Sr. | F |
| Jenna Staiti | Georgia | SEC | 6-4 | Sr. | C |
| Maddy Westbeld | Notre Dame | ACC | 6-3 | Soph | F |
— ND —