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Mississippi State freshman Madison Francis finalist, OM's McMahon takes home Gillom Trophy

Mississippi State beat writer Colin Dammsby: Colin Damms04/15/26Colintheshots95

Mississippi State freshman forward Madison Francis closed out her first year in Starkville as a finalist for the Gillom Trophy. The award was presented on Wednesday by the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame to Ole Miss’s Cotie McMahon. Francis would have been the first Bulldog recipient since Jessika Carter in 2024.

Five of the last six Gillom Trophies have gone to Ole Miss players, with Carter the only other Bulldog recipient since Rickea Jackson‘s win in 2020. The award has historically been dominated by MSU. Alexis Rack is a two-time winner and Victoria Vivians is the only four-time winner.

Francis earned All-SEC Freshman and Defensive Team honors after a strong rookie campaign. She led the team with 13.2 points per game, scoring the most points as a freshman since Rickea Jackson in 2020. She also averaged 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. Her 2.8 blocks led Division I, and her 88 blocks are the third-most for an MSU player in a single season.

The scoring pace set by Francis was second among SEC freshmen and 10th among Power4 Conference players. She garnered multiple midseason honors, including two SEC Freshman of the Week selections. She was also a USBWA Tamika Catchings’ National Freshman of the Week selection in November.

Francis’ defensive contributions earned her a spot on the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year watchlist.

Francis scored a season-high 30 points on 12-16 shooting with 10 rebounds against Alabama State in December. It made her the fifth freshman in program history to achieve a 30-point game, and the only one to make it a double-double.

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