WBCA announces NAIA honorees for 2025-26 Season

 ATLANTA, Ga. – The Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced today the NAIA award winners for the 2025-26 season.

Bethel University's Mikee Buchanan and Micah Hart were named to the 1^st team WBCA All-America squad. Bethel is the only program to have two players named to the 1^st team.

The sophomores helped lead the Lady Wildcats to the Round of Eight in the NAIA Women's Championships. They were both MSC 1^st team all-conference performers. Hart was the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year. Hart averaged 18.7 and led the team in blocks, steals, and in made and attempted free throws. Buchanan led the squad in in made three pointers (86) and was second in scoring at 15.5 points per outing.

Bethel finished their season 28-6.

 Coach of the Year Lauren Glenn of Olivet Nazarene University is the 2026 WBCA NAIA Coach of the Year. lenn will receive the Pat Summitt Trophy, named for the late legendary University of Tennessee coach and awarded annually to the coaches of the year in each of the WBCA's membership divisions.

 "The WBCA is pleased to announce Lauren Glenn as the 2026 recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy presented to the WBCA NAIA Coach of the Year," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. "Lauren was chosen for this honor by her peers after leading her team to an outstanding season. We congratulate Lauren on her success."

 Here are the finalists for WBCA NAIA Coach of the Year:

 Player of the Year

 Abbey McNally of Marian University (Indiana) is the 2026 WBCA NAIA Player of the Year. She headlines the 2026 WBCA NAIA Coaches' All-America team.

"The WBCA is proud to announce Abbey McNally as the 2026 WBCA NAIA Player of the Year," said Donehew. "Abbey is most deserving of this distinguished honor. The WBCA family of coaches congratulates Abbey on her hard work, dedication, and exceptional play during the 2025-26 season."

 Coaches' All-America

 Here are the 2026 WBCA NAIA Coaches' All-Americans:

 "We applaud the members of the 2026 WBCA NAIA Coaches' All-America team," said Donehew. "Each of these young women has achieved an elite level of play within the NAIA and by doing so has increased public awareness of the women's game."

 Here are the student-athletes who received 2026 WBCA NAIA Coaches' All-America honorable mention:

 The WBCA NAIA Coach of the Year, Player of the Year and Coaches' All-America team are selected by the WBCA NAIA Awards Committee from coaches and student-athletes who are nominated by WBCA member coaches.

 Visit https://wbca.org/awards/coach-of-the-year/ to see a list of past recipients of the WBCA NAIA Coach of the Year award. Visit https://wbca.org/player-awards/ to see lists of past WBCA NAIA Player of the Year and WBCA NAIA Coaches' All-America honorees.

 About the WBCA 
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. Founded in 1981, the WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.