The 2026 Texas A&M women’s basketball team is fighting through one of the roughest stretches of the Joni Taylor era, and wins have been hard to come by. But even in a season full of frustration, one constant bright spot has been transfer point guard Ny’Ceara Pryor.

On Tuesday, Pryor was officially named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List—an honor that perfectly aligns with why Taylor targeted her in the transfer portal in the first place. A&M needed a true point guard. They needed a tone‑setting defender. Pryor has delivered both from the moment she stepped on campus.

Through this point in the season, Pryor is averaging 3.8 steals per game, ranking fifth nationally and first in the SEC. Despite being undersized, she’s proving she can not only survive but thrive in the most physical conference in women’s college basketball.

And she’s far more than a defensive specialist. Pryor is also averaging 7.1 assists and 15.5 points per game, giving the Aggies the steady playmaker they’ve lacked in recent years.

She has done everything Taylor hoped she would when she brought her to College Station. While the season hasn’t unfolded the way the program envisioned, Pryor hasn’t let the turbulence slow her down. She continues to perform at an elite level, and her national recognition only reinforces the impact she’s made in her first year as an Aggie.

Ny’Ceara Pryor has been added to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List 👀

Read More https://t.co/BxPNwt6pLo#GigEmpic.twitter.com/VU52jq1Cvy

— Texas A&M Women’s Basketball (@AggieWBB) January 28, 2026

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M guard Ny’Ceara Pryor Earns Naismith Defensive Honor