Keep an eye on these 10 DII women's basketball player-of-the-year hopefuls

The DII women's basketball season is upon us. While the WBCA preseason top 25 gave us a teaser of which teams to watch, how about some of the players to keep an eye on?

Here's a look at who can be some of the top scorers, biggest rebounders and toughest defenders for the 2024-25 season. 

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Emilee Weakley, Frostburg State (pictured below). Weakley has led DII women’s basketball in scoring for two years in a row, averaging 25.2 points per game last season. That obviously came with a list of accolades, earning MEC player of the year (after winning MEC freshman of the year in 2022-23) and being an honorable mention All-American. The 5-foot-11 forward isn’t all scoring though, leading the team with 37 steals and chipping in 6.8 rebounds per game.

"Emilee is a phenomenal athlete and basketball player," head coach Jenna Eckleberry told krikya18.com. "She can impact the game because she brings so much to the table. She can shoot the 3, she has a great pull up game and finishes well around the basket. She is so strong that she draws a lot of fouls and can knock the free throws down. Em is a special basketball player, but she is an even better person. I am most proud of Em for the way she carries herself on the floor and how she respects her coaches and teammates."

Maggie Hutka, Colorado Christian. Hutka had a breakout 2023-24. After scoring 7.0 points per game on 37.5 percent shooting as a freshman, she exploded for 20.4 points per game on a much improved 49.4 percent shooting, including 30 percent from behind the arc. She led the team in blocks, was a two-time RMAC player of the week, and finished 8th overall in scoring in DII. The 6-foot-1 forward was a large reason the Cougars improved from a 10-win team to 17 wins.

"What makes Maggie Hutka such a special player is her desire to improve both herself and those around her,” Cougars’ interim head coach Carissa Ratliff said. “She possesses a work ethic that prevents her from giving anything less than her best and holds herself to a higher standard than most. Her internal drive to succeed extends to everything she does both on and off the court. She is a joy to coach and an even better person than she is a player."

Sam Yencha, Jefferson (pictured below). Yencha is one of the best all-around players in DII women's hoops. The 5-foot-11 forward was a frequent guest in the krikya18.com monthly All-Stats teams, posting nightly averages of 15.6 points and 11.6 rebounds, while shooting an impressive 56.1 percent with 69 assists and 64 steals. The 5-foot-11 forward was the CACC player of the year and a WBCA honorable mention and a driving force behind the Rams' success.

“Most players are willing to do the work, but Sam does all that and more,” Jefferson head coach Tom Shirley told me. “Her uniqueness lies in the fact that she always puts her efforts to the areas that need improvement, not what she does best. She understands the game but excels at the “reads” associated with playing the game and just makes plays. You either “get it” in the game and in life or you don’t. Sam Yencha gets it.”

Olivia Reed, Colorado Mesa. The 6-foot forward was an all-around monster in the RMAC, helping the Mavs reach the second round of the DII women’s basketball championship. After a solid RMAC freshman-of-the-year campaign in 2022-23, she was arguably even better last year, taking home RMAC player of the year honors, earning four RMAC defensive player of the week awards, and being named a WBCA honorable mention All-American.

“What makes Olivia so great is she is a great competitor," Mavs' head coach Taylor Wagner said. "She gives it her all on every play. Olivia has added something new to her game every year, and she continues to get better and better each year.”

Ashley Ingram, Texas Woman’s (pictured below). Ingram, a 6-foot-2 forward was one of the key pieces in the Pioneers’ historic season. Texas Woman’s was the national runners-up, and Ingram led the team in scoring (18.4 points per game), rebounding (8.9 per game), assists (150) and was sixth in DII women's hoops, shooting 59.3 percent from the floor. She was the Pioneers’ first-ever Lone Star Conference player of the year and a two-time All-American among a slew of South Central region honors. The Pioneers return a bunch of talent, and with Ingram among them, they will look for another deep run once again.

“She is an exceptional student, an extraordinary athlete, an outstanding leader and an even better person," Pioneers' head coach Beth Jillson said. "Ashley works hard on and off the court to be the best she can be. She puts her team first and wants to do whatever is best to put her team in the best possible situation to be successful.  

"Ashley started coming to TWU basketball camps at a young age because of her grandparents' involvement with the university on the Board of Regents. The memories she made at TWU at a young age continue to propel her to pursue excellence in all she does at the school she fell in love with alongside her grandparents. Ashley has incredible family support and that, along with the family she has in her team, serve as strong motivators for her to bring a positive impact to everything she does.”

Kamari Thompson, Coker. How good was Thompson’s freshman campaign? The 6-foot forward led the SAC in rebounding with 11.9 per game, a mark that was third in DII women’s basketball. She was named the SAC freshman of the year in a campaign that saw her chip in 11.9 points per game. The Cobras improved by six wins and finished with their first winning record since the 2012-13 season. Thompson wasn’t the only part of that, but she was a big reason behind it.

”What makes Kamari so dang good is her activity,” Coker head coach Melissa DeVore said. “She's one of the most active players I've had my entire career. She has a knack for the ball and gets her hands on a ton of offensive rebounds. Our pace of play fits her fantastically as she rim runs and our quick guards find her in transition. Excited for this season and looking forward to Kamari breaking all her records she set last year.”

Katie Wagner, Fort Hays State. Wagner, a 5-foot-11 guard, was a machine last season, third in the MIAA in both scoring and rebounding. For her work, she was named MIAA player of the year, as well as earning a spot on the MIAA All-Defensive team, most outstanding player of the MIAA tournament, and a spot as an honorable mention on the WBCA All-America team.

”I came across a quote last week that I felt described Katie perfectly,” Tigers' head coach Talia Kahrs said. “’There’s nothing more powerful than a humble person with a warrior spirit who is driven by a bigger purpose.’ Katie has a warrior spirit, always competing and going hard no matter what we are doing. She leads by example and that is how she has become the player she is today.

”She doesn’t take plays off whether everyone is watching or she’s alone in the gym. It becomes a really amazing combo when a player can do that with humility and for something greater than herself. Katie isn’t doing it for the personal accolades she’s doing it for the team. Katie is the type of player that a coach is blessed to have the privilege of coaching, and thankfully for me I have a bunch of players on my team like that this year.”

Hayley Smith, Zoe Miller, Ashland. Andi Daugherty and Laina Snyder. Annie Roshak and Hayley Smith. Every time the Eagles have dominant players in the post recently, they seem to find themselves in the championship game. Now, it may be Smith and Miller’s turn for what could be another special season in Ashland. Miller is one of the most efficient shooters in DII, while Smith has averaged 9.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in three years at Ashland. It’s not what they do alone, but what they do together that can take the Eagles far in 2025.

"Hayley and Zoe are special players for many reasons, but what makes them elite is the fact that they play together,” said head coach Kari Pickens, who is no stranger to big time championship performance, winning one with the Eagles as a player in 2013. “In all the years of Ashland's success, our teams have never had just one dominant post player, we've had two to three who can play hand-in-hand to make it a challenge for other teams to defend. These women don't need a ton of fancy footwork to get the job done, they are going to get a deep seal and finish, rebound like crazy, and knock down the open three."

Alisha Little, CSU Pueblo. If you have followed the krikya18.com DII basketball all-stats teams over the past five seasons, you know we love the double-double. Little is arguably the best at the feat, leading DII women's basketball in the category with 24 a year ago. She is also a vicious defender, leading DII women's basketball with 3.62 blocks per game last year en route to RMAC defensive player of the year. She led the RMAC in both scoring (20.8 per game) and rebounding (11.9 per game) and, simply put, is one of the best all-around players the division has to offer.

"She's not just talented but determined to get the most out of her talent and is highly accountable,” head coach Tommie Johnson said. “She's a leader who leads by example and she understands she's playing for things that are bigger than her — her daughter, her family, her teammates, education and university mean a ton to her.”