Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse women’s basketball player Laila Phelia has been named to the preseason Ann Meyers-Drysdale shooting guard of the year watch list.
Phelia, a transfer from Texas, is one of only 20 women nationally to appear on the list.
She has quite a story to tell.
Phelia played two seasons at Michigan, the last of which earned her All-Big Ten honors. She transferred to Texas, but an eye issue that left her completely blind in one eye for a period eventually caused her to sit out the rest of the 2024-25 season.
She earned a medical hardship waiver and will play a grad year in Syracuse.
Phelia was one of the hottest commodities in the 2024 transfer portal because of her phenomenal season at Michigan.
Now completely healed, she is expected to be a pivotal part of the Orange women’s 2025-26 season.
Here’s the entire Ann Meyers-Drysdale list:
Taliah Scott, Baylor
Delaney Gibb, BYU
Lulu Twidale, Cal
Ashlon Jackson, Duke
Elle Evans, Kansas
Tajianna Roberts, Louisville
Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU
Kaylene Smikle, Maryland
Syla Swords, Michigan
Zamareya Jones, NC State
Payton Verhulst, Oklahoma
Rachel Ullstrom, Richmond
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
Laila Phelia, Syracuse
Ruby Whitehorn, Tennessee
Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA
Azzi Fudd, UConn
Destiny Leo,UNLV
Kara Dunn, USC
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt