Photo by: Zachary Lucy
10/28/2026 9:47:00 AM | Women's Basketball
HOPEWELL, N.J. – Avery Koenen has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2027 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats, the organization announced on Wednesday morning.
Koenen lands on the 25-player preseason watch list for the second straight season and is the only player from the Summit League to earn the honor. Koenen was one of five finalists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award last season.
Koenen, who was named the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, led NDSU averaging 19.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game last season. She was the only player in the country to average at least 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 63.0 percent or better from the field. The Montevideo, Minn., native was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year last season. Koenen went on to become the first player in the NDSU Division I era to be named an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention.
The full release can be viewed here.
NDSU will open the 2026-27 season at Gonzaga on Monday, Nov. 2.
Award Eligibility & Schedule
To be eligible for this award, players must compete in a conference deemed to be "mid-major." The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Players competing in the re-formed Pac-12 are eligible.
The 15-player midseason watch list will be announced in January, followed by 10 semifinalists announced in February. The five finalists will be announced in early March, with the winner announced around the Final Four. The list is fluid, and players may play their way on or off it over the course of the season.
Koenen lands on the 25-player preseason watch list for the second straight season and is the only player from the Summit League to earn the honor. Koenen was one of five finalists for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award last season.
Koenen, who was named the Summit League Preseason Player of the Year, led NDSU averaging 19.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game last season. She was the only player in the country to average at least 19.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 63.0 percent or better from the field. The Montevideo, Minn., native was named the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year last season. Koenen went on to become the first player in the NDSU Division I era to be named an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention.
The full release can be viewed here.
NDSU will open the 2026-27 season at Gonzaga on Monday, Nov. 2.
Award Eligibility & Schedule
To be eligible for this award, players must compete in a conference deemed to be "mid-major." The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Players competing in the re-formed Pac-12 are eligible.
The 15-player midseason watch list will be announced in January, followed by 10 semifinalists announced in February. The five finalists will be announced in early March, with the winner announced around the Final Four. The list is fluid, and players may play their way on or off it over the course of the season.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballTuesday, October 27
Sunday, September 20
Sunday, March 22
Friday, March 20
