ATLANTA – The Southwest Minnesota State University women's basketball team finished sixth among all NCAA Division II programs in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Honor Roll announced on Tuesday.
The Mustangs' 14-team member squad posted a 3.811 cumulative grade point average for the year, ranking sixth nationally and first among all Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams.
"The WBCA is pleased to recognize those women's basketball programs that have committed themselves to excellence on the court and in the classroom," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "The 119 ranked teams we honor this year across all five collegiate membership divisions strive to achieve all-around success and we commend their efforts. Congratulations!"
SMSU had 11 student-athletes named to the 2025-26 NSIC All-Academic team, while juniors
Brynn Busse and
Natalie Nielsen along with sophomores
Nicole Maenke and
Elizabeth Wagner earned CSC Academic All-District honors.
SMSU finished the 2025-26 season with a 17-12 overall record and placed fifth in the 16-team NSIC. The Mustangs have won a combined 83 games during the past four seasons.
The WBCA Academic Top 25 Honor Roll recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year college women's basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season.
NCAA Division II
|
|
Rank
|
Institution
|
Head Coach
|
GPA
|
|
1
|
Mercy
|
Scott Lagas
|
3.853
|
|
2
|
Fla. Southern
|
Megan Dzikas
|
3.849
|
|
3
|
Embry-Riddle (FL)
|
Lisa Wilson
|
3.841
|
|
4
|
Northwestern Okla.
|
Tasha Diesselhorst
|
3.826
|
|
5
|
East Stroudsburg
|
Liz Flooks
|
3.825
|
|
6
|
Southwest Minnesota State
|
Tom Webb
|
3.811
|
|
7
|
Colorado Mesa
|
Taylor Wagner
|
3.797
|
|
8
|
Goldey-Beacom
|
Bethann Burke
|
3.790
|
|
9
|
Fort Hays St.
|
Talia Kahrs
|
3.787
|
|
10
|
Harding
|
Tim Kirby
|
3.776
|
|
11
|
Lubbock Christian
|
Steve Gomez
|
3.775
|
|
12
|
Northwood
|
Autumn Hunter
|
3.772
|
|
13
|
Maryville
|
Brita Hand
|
3.770
|
|
14
|
Southern N.H.
|
Karen Pinkos
|
3.759
|
|
15
|
MSU Moorhead
|
Karla Nelson
|
3.757
|
|
16
|
Gannon
|
Cleve Wright
|
3.755
|
|
T17
|
Northern Mich.
|
Casey Thousand
|
3.752
|
|
T17
|
Point Loma
|
Charity Elliott
|
3.752
|
|
19
|
Upper Iowa
|
Justin Maass
|
3.740
|
|
20
|
Sioux Falls
|
Travis Traphagen
|
3.732
|
|
21
|
Northern St.
|
Paula Krueger
|
3.730
|
|
22
|
Ouachita Baptist
|
Nick Long
|
3.729
|
|
23
|
St. Cloud St.
|
Lori Fish
|
3.726
|
|
24
|
McKendree
|
Kari Kerkhoff
|
3.724
|
|
25
|
Malone
|
Selana Ickes
|
3.716
|
|
|
|
|
