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USC’s Rayah Marshall Selected For Lisa Leslie Preseason Watch List
October 20, 2023 | Women's Basketball
She carries a 51-game block streak into her junior season, where she’ll stand tall as a center for the Trojans.
Accolades continue to pile up for USC junior Rayah Marshall, who today earned national accolades with her selection to the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Preseason Watch List. Coming off a sophomore campaign in which she averaged a double-double and set a program record in single-season blocks, Marshall is one of 20 players to be chosen as potential candidates for the prestigious positional award named for one of USC's most recognized alumnae — Lisa Leslie.
Marshall was recently named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team, and she is now set up for duty in the paint in her junior season at USC. As a sophomore, Marshall made USC history in setting a new program record for single-season blocks with 98 stuffs tallied in 2022-23. She delivered seven in the NCAA First Round, extending her streak to 51 straight games with at least one block while marking up her 13th consecutive multi-block outing.
With just two seasons under her belt at USC, Marshall ranks No. 4 all-time in career blocks with a total of 169 to date. Marshall delivered 14 double-doubles for the Trojans last season — the most by a Trojan in a season since at least 1999 — and averaged 3.5 blocks per game to rank No. 2 in the nation overall. She finished out the season as USC's third leading scorer with 12.7 points per game, and top rebounder with 11.5 boards per game, and was the first Trojan to average a double-double in an entire season since Tina Thompson in 1996-97. A 2023 All-Pac-12 Team & Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection, Marshall also was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in her sophomore season. After scoring a career-high 33 points in a win at Oregon State, she was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Jan. 2, 2023. Marshall has now earned Pac-12 Preseason Honorable Mention as a sophomore. This past summer, Marshall earned a silver medal with Team USA at the FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Leon, Mexico
Established and selected by the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year award recognizes the top center in women's collegiate basketball each year. The Preseason Watch List is comprised of 20 players. The list will be narrowed down to 10 in late January, with plans to announce the Final 5 in late March. The winner of this award, as well as presentation details, will be announced toward the end of the season. Throughout the selection process, lists will be fluid and players will have the ability to play themselves on or off the list until the five finalists are selected.
Marshall and the Women of Troy kick off their 2023-24 campaign ranked No. 21 in the nation — USC's first Associated Press preseason ranking since 2011-12 and highest since weighing in at No. 16 to start the 1995-96 season. USC's season opener takes place at the Naismith Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas, facing off against No. 6 Ohio State on Nov. 6 at T-Mobile Arena. USC's home opener at Galen Center is set for Nov. 10 against Florida Gulf Coast, and will feature a celebration of the 40th anniversary of USC's back-to-back NCAA championships.
Marshall was recently named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team, and she is now set up for duty in the paint in her junior season at USC. As a sophomore, Marshall made USC history in setting a new program record for single-season blocks with 98 stuffs tallied in 2022-23. She delivered seven in the NCAA First Round, extending her streak to 51 straight games with at least one block while marking up her 13th consecutive multi-block outing.
With just two seasons under her belt at USC, Marshall ranks No. 4 all-time in career blocks with a total of 169 to date. Marshall delivered 14 double-doubles for the Trojans last season — the most by a Trojan in a season since at least 1999 — and averaged 3.5 blocks per game to rank No. 2 in the nation overall. She finished out the season as USC's third leading scorer with 12.7 points per game, and top rebounder with 11.5 boards per game, and was the first Trojan to average a double-double in an entire season since Tina Thompson in 1996-97. A 2023 All-Pac-12 Team & Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection, Marshall also was named a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in her sophomore season. After scoring a career-high 33 points in a win at Oregon State, she was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on Jan. 2, 2023. Marshall has now earned Pac-12 Preseason Honorable Mention as a sophomore. This past summer, Marshall earned a silver medal with Team USA at the FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Leon, Mexico
Established and selected by the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year award recognizes the top center in women's collegiate basketball each year. The Preseason Watch List is comprised of 20 players. The list will be narrowed down to 10 in late January, with plans to announce the Final 5 in late March. The winner of this award, as well as presentation details, will be announced toward the end of the season. Throughout the selection process, lists will be fluid and players will have the ability to play themselves on or off the list until the five finalists are selected.
Marshall and the Women of Troy kick off their 2023-24 campaign ranked No. 21 in the nation — USC's first Associated Press preseason ranking since 2011-12 and highest since weighing in at No. 16 to start the 1995-96 season. USC's season opener takes place at the Naismith Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas, facing off against No. 6 Ohio State on Nov. 6 at T-Mobile Arena. USC's home opener at Galen Center is set for Nov. 10 against Florida Gulf Coast, and will feature a celebration of the 40th anniversary of USC's back-to-back NCAA championships.
Women's Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Media Availability 9/18/25
Thursday, September 18
USC WBB's Lindsay Gottlieb, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen | Trojan Press Conference
Monday, March 31
USC WBB heads to the Elite 8, defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16 | Rapid Reaction
Saturday, March 29
Kennedy Smith on USC WBB heading to the Elite Eight, Trojan freshmen getting the job done
Saturday, March 29
