2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Postseason Honors Announced

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Postseason Honors Announced

Lauren Betts named Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2025-26 women’s basketball all-conference teams and individual award recipients Tuesday live on the Big Ten Network’s “B1G Today” show.

UCLA senior center Lauren Betts pulled double duty after being selected as the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by both the conference coaches and a select panel of Big Ten media members. USC guard Jazzy Davidson was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while UCLA graduate forward Angela Dugalić garnered Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year laurels. UCLA’s Cori Close was tabbed as the Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Betts, who is included on various watch lists for national player of the year awards, repeated as the conference’s defensive player of the year after earning her first postseason accolade last year. The senior helped the Bruins capture their first-ever Big Ten regular-season title with a perfect 18-0 record. Betts earned her first Big Ten Player of the Year nod after averaging a team-leading 16.7 points while shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 8.6 rebounds per game. She is also second in the league with 11 double-double performances this season.

Davidson is the first Trojan to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Week seven times and was the USBWA National Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week on four occasions. Davidson is the only Division I player this season leading their team in points per game (17.9), rebounds per game (5.9), assists per game (4.3), blocks per game (2.0) and steals per game (2.0).

For the second year in a row, the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year is a Bruin. Dugalić appeared in 28 games for UCLA this season, averaging 9.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. The Des Plaines, Ill., native is shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 81.1 percent from the charity stripe.

After sweeping the national coach of the year awards a season ago, Close received her first accolade from the Big Ten Conference this year. Under her guidance, UCLA became the fourth program in Big Ten history to be undefeated in conference play, joining Ohio State (1985), Purdue (1999) and Maryland (2015). She has led the Bruins to a 28-1 overall record and the No. 1 seed in the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament. Close has steered her team to 10 wins over ranked opponents and a No. 2 ranking in the national polls. The Bruins also own 14 Quad 1 wins in the NCAA NET Rankings, the top mark in the country, while standing second in assists/turnover ratio (1.72), assists per game (22.1), field goal percentage (.510) and rebounding margin (15.8). Close is also on the watch list for Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year.

Betts, Davidson, Illinois sophomore forward Berry Wallace, Iowa sophomore center Ava Heiden, Michigan sophomore guard Olivia Olson, Ohio State sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge, UCLA senior guard Kiki Rice and Washington junior guard Sayvia Sellers were unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selections by the coaches, while Betts, Davidson, Cambridge and Rice were unanimous honorees by the media.

The Big Ten also recognized 18 Sportsmanship Award recipients in the sport of women’s basketball on Tuesday, one from each conference institution. The students chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These students must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The complete list of all-conference honorees and individual award winners is below.

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Honors

As selected by Big Ten coaches

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lauren Betts, UCLA

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lauren Betts, UCLA

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Jazzy Davidson, USC

SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Angela Dugalić, UCLA

COACH OF THE YEAR

Cori Close, UCLA

FIRST TEAM

BERRY WALLACE, ILLINOIS

AVA HEIDEN, IOWA

Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland

OLIVIA OLSON, MICHIGAN

Syla Swords, Michigan

JALONI CAMBRIDGE, OHIO STATE

LAUREN BETTS, UCLA

KIKI RICE, UCLA

JAZZY DAVIDSON, USC

SAYVIA SELLERS, WASHINGTON

SECOND TEAM

SHAY CIEZKI, INDIANA

Hannah Stuelke, Iowa

Kennedy Blair, Michigan State

GRACE VANSLOOTEN, MICHIGAN STATE

Grace Grocholski, Minnesota

Tori McKinney, Minnesota

BRITT PRINCE, NEBRASKA

Katie Fiso, Oregon

Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA

Kara Dunn, USC

THIRD TEAM

Chit-Chat Wright, Iowa

Yarden Garzon, Maryland

Amaya Battle, Minnesota

Grace Sullivan, Northwestern

Kiyomi McMiller, Penn State

HONORABLE MENTION*

Cearah Parchment, Illinois

Mila Holloway, Michigan

Mara Braun, Minnesota

Chance Gray, Ohio State

Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA

Avery Howell, Washington

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM*

Kylie Feuerbach, Iowa

Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland

Brooke Quarles Daniels, Michigan

Amaya Battle, Minnesota

Tori McKinney, Minnesota

Kennedy Cambridge, Ohio State

LAUREN BETTS, UCLA

Kiki Rice, UCLA

Jazzy Davidson, USC

Kennedy Smith, USC

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

DESTINY JACKSON, ILLINOIS

CEARAH PARCHMENT, ILLINOIS

Maya Makalusky, Indiana

Addie Deal, Iowa

Addi Mack, Maryland

Sienna Betts, UCLA

JAZZY DAVIDSON, USC

BRYNN MCGAUGHY, WASHINGTON

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Honors

As selected by Big Ten media

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lauren Betts, UCLA

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Lauren Betts, UCLA

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Jazzy Davidson, USC

SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Angela Dugalić, UCLA

COACH OF THE YEAR

Cori Close, UCLA

FIRST TEAM

Shay Ciezki, Indiana

Ava Heiden, Iowa

Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland

Olivia Olson, Michigan

Syla Swords, Michigan

Britt Prince, Nebraska

JALONI CAMBRIDGE, OHIO STATE

LAUREN BETTS, UCLA

KIKI RICE, UCLA

JAZZY DAVIDSON, USC

SECOND TEAM

Berry Wallace, Illinois

Hannah Stuelke, Iowa

Kennedy Blair, Michigan State

Grace VanSlooten, Michigan State

Grace Grocholski, Minnesota

Grace Sullivan, Northwestern

Kiyomi McMiller, Penn State

Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA

Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA

Sayvia Sellers, Washington

THIRD TEAM

Amaya Battle, Minnesota

Tori McKinney, Minnesota

Katie Fiso, Oregon

Gracie Merkle, Penn State

Kara Dunn, USC

HONORABLE MENTION

Cearah Parchment, Illinois

Chit-Chat Wright, Iowa

Yarden Garzon, Maryland

Chance Gray, Ohio State

Avery Howell, Washington

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM

Kylie Feuerbach, Iowa

Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland

Brooke Quarles Daniels, Michigan

Rashunda Jones, Michigan State

Kennedy Cambridge, Ohio State

Elsa Lemmilä, Ohio State

Lauren Betts, UCLA

Jazzy Davidson, USC

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Destiny Jackson, Illinois

Cearah Parchment, Illinois

Maya Makalusky, Indiana

Addi Mack, Maryland

Kylee Kitts, Ohio State

Sienna Betts, UCLA

JAZZY DAVIDSON, USC

Brynn McGaughy, Washington

UNANIMOUS SELECTIONS IN ALL CAPS

* Additional players due to tie in voting

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Sportsmanship Honorees

Gisela Segura, Gr., Illinois

Lenée Beaumont, R-So., Indiana

Taylor McCabe, Sr., Iowa

Saylor Poffenbarger, R-Sr., Maryland

Alyssa Crockett, Sr., Michigan

Emma Shumate, Sr., Michigan State

Sophie Hart, Gr., Minnesota

Callin Hake, Sr., Nebraska

Lauren Trumpy, Sr., Northwestern

Chance Gray, Sr., Ohio State

Sofia Bell, Jr., Oregon

Vitória Santana, Sr., Penn State

Madison Layden-Zay, 5th-Yr., Purdue

Kaylah Ivey, Gr., Rutgers

Charlisse Leger-Walker, Gr., UCLA

Brooklyn Shamblin, So., USC

Elle Ladine, Sr., Washington

Shay Bollin, Gr., Wisconsin