10/29/2026 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Third TCU player under Mark Campbell to receive consideration
FORT WORTH – Clara Silva will start her second season in Fort Worth as a national player of the year contender.
The 6-7 center was one of 50 players selected to the Naismith Trophy College Player of the Year watch list as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Watch list candidates were chosen by a national voting academy comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, past award winners and conference commissioners.
Silva is the third Horned Frog in as many seasons to garner Naismith Trophy consideration. Former TCU All-Americans Hailey Van Lith and Olivia Miles were preseason watch list candidates in 2025 and 2026. Both players were later named finalists for the accolade.
A junior from Faro, Portugal, Silva's continued development is an x-factor for No. 15 TCU ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Silva is the lone returning starter for the Horned Frogs, who open play on Tuesday against Oral Roberts, and one of two letter winners from last season's Big 12 champion squad.
Silva averaged nine points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor in 2025-26. She concluded her sophomore campaign with 67 blocks, which were the second-most of any Big 12 player and ranked 16th nationally. Silva sent back three-or-more shots on 10 instances and delivered three double-doubles.
She grew more confident as a scoring threat as the 2025-26 season wore on. Silva reached double figures in 13 of her last 28 outings and increased her scoring average to 10 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. She keyed the Frogs' 62-59 overtime win over Washington in the second round of the Big Dance on March 23. Silva netted seven fourth quarter points, helping TCU erase a multi-possession deficit, and delivered the go-ahead bucket in the extra period.
Silva and TCU tip the ball at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday vs. the Golden Eagles. The Horned Frogs start the year with seven straight ballgames at Schollmaier Arena, the site of the longest home winning streak in college basketball (44 games).
The 6-7 center was one of 50 players selected to the Naismith Trophy College Player of the Year watch list as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
Watch list candidates were chosen by a national voting academy comprised of leading journalists from around the country, current and former head coaches, past award winners and conference commissioners.
Silva is the third Horned Frog in as many seasons to garner Naismith Trophy consideration. Former TCU All-Americans Hailey Van Lith and Olivia Miles were preseason watch list candidates in 2025 and 2026. Both players were later named finalists for the accolade.
A junior from Faro, Portugal, Silva's continued development is an x-factor for No. 15 TCU ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Silva is the lone returning starter for the Horned Frogs, who open play on Tuesday against Oral Roberts, and one of two letter winners from last season's Big 12 champion squad.
Silva averaged nine points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor in 2025-26. She concluded her sophomore campaign with 67 blocks, which were the second-most of any Big 12 player and ranked 16th nationally. Silva sent back three-or-more shots on 10 instances and delivered three double-doubles.
She grew more confident as a scoring threat as the 2025-26 season wore on. Silva reached double figures in 13 of her last 28 outings and increased her scoring average to 10 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. She keyed the Frogs' 62-59 overtime win over Washington in the second round of the Big Dance on March 23. Silva netted seven fourth quarter points, helping TCU erase a multi-possession deficit, and delivered the go-ahead bucket in the extra period.
Silva and TCU tip the ball at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday vs. the Golden Eagles. The Horned Frogs start the year with seven straight ballgames at Schollmaier Arena, the site of the longest home winning streak in college basketball (44 games).
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