University of Iowa women's basketball guard Chitadi 'Chit-Chat' Wright earned a spot on the 2027 Nancy Lieberman Award preseason watch list Monday, one of 20 point guards nationally recognized as candidates for the honor given to the top floor leader in Division I women's basketball.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced the watch list ahead of the 2026-27 season, and Wright is the lone Hawkeye on it. Iowa's athletics department confirmed the selection in a release from Iowa City.
What the Lieberman Award recognizes
Now in its 28th year, the Nancy Lieberman Award honors point guards who show exceptional floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills. Fan voting opened Friday, Oct. 30. The list shrinks to 10 candidates in February, then five finalists in March, with a winner chosen by the Hall of Fame's award selection committee.
The award has recent Hawkeye history attached to it. Caitlin Clark won it three straight seasons from 2022 through 2024, the last Iowa player to take the honor home. Wright now follows in that lineage as the program's next great floor general candidate.
Wright's breakout first season in Iowa City
Wright arrived from Atlanta, Georgia, and made an immediate impact. She started all 31 games as a second-year player, averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per contest while shooting 42.9% from the field and a sharp 44% from three-point range.
Her 387 points and 138 assists put her in the program record books. The assist total ranks seventh on Iowa's single-season list for second-year players, according to Yahoo Sports.
Big Ten coaches took notice, naming Wright third-team All-Big Ten, while the media gave her honorable mention recognition.
Who else made the watch list
Wright joins a loaded field of 19 other point guards from across the country, including KK Arnold (UConn), Jasmine Bascoe (Villanova), Kennedy Blair (Michigan State), Zoe Brooks (NC State), Jaloni Cambridge (Ohio State), Aaliyah Chavez (Oklahoma), Jazzy Davidson (USC), and Katie Fiso (Oregon).
The list also features Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Mila Holloway (Michigan), Kymora Johnson (Virginia), Zamareya Jones (Louisville), Liv McGill (Oklahoma State), S'Mya Nichols (Kansas), Bryanna Preston (Texas), Britt Prince (Nebraska), Gal Raviv (Miami), Jada Williams (LSU), and Jadyn Wooten (TCU).
Several Big Ten rivals are represented, meaning Wright will face fellow candidates in conference play, including Prince when the Hawkeyes meet Nebraska and Holloway against Michigan.
When the Hawkeyes take the floor
No. 10 Iowa opens at home with an exhibition against Maryville on Thursday, Oct. 29, then tips off the regular season Monday, Nov. 2 against Towson. Both games start at 7 p.m. CT at Carver-Hawkeye Arena and stream on B1G+.
The top-10 ranking gives Iowa fans real expectations for the season, and Wright's presence on the national watch list reinforces why. After the Clark era turned Iowa City into the center of the women's basketball world, the program keeps producing players the rest of the country has to account for.
FAQ
What is the Nancy Lieberman Award?
It is an annual honor from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association recognizing the top point guard in NCAA Division I women's basketball, now in its 28th year.
When did Chit-Chat Wright make the watch list?
The Hall of Fame and the WBCA announced the 20-player preseason watch list on Monday, Oct. 27, ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Has an Iowa player ever won the Lieberman Award?
Yes. Caitlin Clark won it three consecutive seasons from 2022 through 2024, the most recent Hawkeye to earn the honor.
When does Iowa's season start?
Iowa hosts Maryville in an exhibition on Thursday, Oct. 29, and opens the regular season Monday, Nov. 2 against Towson at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.