Saint Lucian basketballer and University of North Texas senior Megan Nestor has been highlighted as one of the best bigs in the collegiate women’s game in the United States. On October 31, she was among 20 players named to the 2025-26 Lisa Leslie Centre of the Year Award Preseason Watchlist.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced Nestor on the list that annually recognises the top centres in Division I women’s basketball. The list will remain fluid as the season progresses, giving players the opportunity to move on and off the list, which will narrow down to ten players in late January, with the final five being announced in March. The award winner and presentation details will be revealed at the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis.
Nestor, who is originally from the village of Canaries in Saint Lucia, arrived at North Texas this offseason following a decorated career at Wayland Baptist University, where the 6’3” former netballer dominated the NAIA ranks in her last two seasons.
As a junior, she averaged 20.5 points and 13.4 rebounds per game to lead Wayland Baptist to the second round of the NAIA Women’s Basketball Championships. She ranked third in the NAIA with a .635 field goal percentage and was eighth in rebounding, earning First Team All-Conference and All-America honors.
Nestor’s selection marks the second season in a row the Mean Green have been represented on the preseason watchlist. Tommisha Lampkin was the first player in programme history to land on the list prior to the 2024-25 season. UNT is one of nine schools to have a player on the list in each of the last two seasons.
Nestor begins the regular season with UNT on November 3, against Oklahoma Christian, inside The Super Pit.
