University of Tennessee Athletics
Cooper Named To Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List
January 27, 2026 | Women's Basketball
For the second straight season, Tennessee's Talaysia Cooper has been selected for the Naismith Women's College Defensive Player of the Year Presented by MOLECULE Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced on Tuesday.
Cooper, who was a semifinalist for the award in 2024-25 as well as a member of the SEC All-Defensive Team, is one of 25 players making this season's initial list. She is one of 12 players from the Southeastern Conference to be recognized.
The 6-foot redshirt junior guard has helped the Lady Vols climb to No. 15 nationally with a 14-3 overall record and 6-0 mark in league play. UT, which has won seven straight contests, is the only SEC program with an unblemished record in league play entering Thursday night's home game vs. Mississippi State (6:30 p.m. ET / SECN+).
The native of Turbeville, S.C., ranks No. 14 nationally, averaging 3.375 steals per game, and stands at No. 35 with 54 total steals this season. Her current steals average ranks as the No. 3 single-season mark in UT history, just above last season's average of 3.088. Additionally, in 50 games as a Lady Vol, Cooper has compiled a 3.180 career steals mark that currently ranks her No. 2 all-time on Rocky Top behind Holly Warlick's 3.247 standard from 1976-80.
Cooper leads the Big Orange in scoring average (14.4), assist average (4.1) and steals average (3.4), and is third in rebound average (5.7), three-pointers made (29) and blocked shots (7). She is tops on the team in double-doubles (4), double-figure scoring efforts (14) and 15+ scoring performances (8). Additionally, she has led Tennessee multiple times in steals (11), assists (11), points (6), rebounds (5), three-pointers (5) and blocks (2).
Among her double-double efforts, she carded 19 points, six assists and 10 steals in UT's win at Stanford, carding the No. 2 single-game steals total in school history. She also had three other efforts of five or more steals, grabbing seven vs. Coppin State, six at Middle Tennessee State and five in UT's most recent win, a 60-58 triumph over No. 11/12 Kentucky on Jan. 22.
At the top of UT's press, Cooper is a key reason why Tennessee averages 11.9 steals per game, forces 21.59 turnovers per contest and has forced foes into 17 10-second halfcourt violations. She also has been instrumental in the Lady Vols' halfcourt defense, enabling her team to hold four of its first six SEC opponents to fewer than 60 points and limit teams to 61.3 ppg. and 37.2-percent shooting in league play.
In addition to being a candidate for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Cooper is on national player of the year watch lists for the John R. Wooden Award, Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy and the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as well as on the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Watch List. She also was projected as an All-SEC First-Team selection by the league's coaches and a second-team pick by the conference media members.
Cooper, who was a semifinalist for the award in 2024-25 as well as a member of the SEC All-Defensive Team, is one of 25 players making this season's initial list. She is one of 12 players from the Southeastern Conference to be recognized.
The 6-foot redshirt junior guard has helped the Lady Vols climb to No. 15 nationally with a 14-3 overall record and 6-0 mark in league play. UT, which has won seven straight contests, is the only SEC program with an unblemished record in league play entering Thursday night's home game vs. Mississippi State (6:30 p.m. ET / SECN+).
The native of Turbeville, S.C., ranks No. 14 nationally, averaging 3.375 steals per game, and stands at No. 35 with 54 total steals this season. Her current steals average ranks as the No. 3 single-season mark in UT history, just above last season's average of 3.088. Additionally, in 50 games as a Lady Vol, Cooper has compiled a 3.180 career steals mark that currently ranks her No. 2 all-time on Rocky Top behind Holly Warlick's 3.247 standard from 1976-80.
Cooper leads the Big Orange in scoring average (14.4), assist average (4.1) and steals average (3.4), and is third in rebound average (5.7), three-pointers made (29) and blocked shots (7). She is tops on the team in double-doubles (4), double-figure scoring efforts (14) and 15+ scoring performances (8). Additionally, she has led Tennessee multiple times in steals (11), assists (11), points (6), rebounds (5), three-pointers (5) and blocks (2).
Among her double-double efforts, she carded 19 points, six assists and 10 steals in UT's win at Stanford, carding the No. 2 single-game steals total in school history. She also had three other efforts of five or more steals, grabbing seven vs. Coppin State, six at Middle Tennessee State and five in UT's most recent win, a 60-58 triumph over No. 11/12 Kentucky on Jan. 22.
At the top of UT's press, Cooper is a key reason why Tennessee averages 11.9 steals per game, forces 21.59 turnovers per contest and has forced foes into 17 10-second halfcourt violations. She also has been instrumental in the Lady Vols' halfcourt defense, enabling her team to hold four of its first six SEC opponents to fewer than 60 points and limit teams to 61.3 ppg. and 37.2-percent shooting in league play.
In addition to being a candidate for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, Cooper is on national player of the year watch lists for the John R. Wooden Award, Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy and the USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as well as on the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Watch List. She also was projected as an All-SEC First-Team selection by the league's coaches and a second-team pick by the conference media members.
Players Mentioned
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