By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Katie Wagner has been named the 2023-24 MIAA Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, announced Tuesday (March 5) by the league office. The Maize, Kan. native also earned a spot on the MIAA All-Defensive Team in addition to first team all-conference honors, while Olivia Hollenbeck received third team All-MIAA recognition for a second year in a row.
Wagner has been a consistent force all season long, ranking third in the MIAA in scoring with 16.9 points per game, fifth in rebounding with 8.3 rebounds per game and second in steals with 2.3 steals per game. She is the only player in the conference to rank in the top five in three primary statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks).
The fourth-year junior turned things up a notch in conference play, ranking second in the league with 17.0 points against MIAA opponents, third with 8.6 rebounds when playing conference rivals and second with 2.4 steals in league games.
Wagner scored in double figures 25 times in 28 games, including nine games with at least 20 points. She was one of two players in the conference to score at least 30 points multiple times this season. Wagner tallied 10 double-doubles and distributed three or more assists 16 times.
Wagner is the third Tiger to earn the conference’s top honor, joining Kate Lehman (2014-15) and Tatyana Legette (2018-19). She is the 11th Tiger to earn first team All-MIAA honors and just the third to do so multiple times (Kate Lehman 2013, 2014, 2015; Jaden Hobbs 2021, 2022). Additionally, Wagner is the 10th Tiger to be listed on the MIAA All-Defensive team.
This is Wagner’s third appearance on the All-MIAA postseason honors list. She was also a first team selection last year after receiving second team accolades in 2021-22.
Hollenbeck picked up All-MIAA honors for the fourth time in her career, becoming just the fourth player in program history to earn all-conference honors in four-consecutive seasons (Annette Wiles, Shauna Porter, Kate Lehman). She picked up third-team status for a second-consecutive season after receiving honorable mention recognition in each of her first two seasons at FHSU.
A native of Lincoln, Neb., Hollenbeck ranked second on the team in the regular season with 12.3 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and 1.3 steals per game while leading the squad with 1.4 blocks per contest, fifth-most in the MIAA. She led the team in field-goal percentage, knocking down 52.4 percent from the floor on the year (130-248).
Hollenbeck scored in double figures 19 times, including a career-best 30 points in a win over Newman in February, one of just five 30-point performances in an MIAA contest this season. The forward recorded a pair of double-doubles while compiling multiple blocks in 12 different games and multiple steals 11 times.
Fort Hays State will open postseason play on Friday (March 8) in the quarterfinals of the 2024 MIAA Women’s Basketball Championship, presented by Southern Bank, when the Tigers take on Central Missouri at 2:15 p.m. inside historic Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City, Mo.
2023-24 MIAA Women’s Basketball Postseason Awards
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Katie Wagner, Fort Hays State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Connie Clarke, Missouri Western
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Ryan Franklin, Missouri Southern
COACH OF THE YEAR: Candi Whitaker, Missouri Western
MIAA All-Defensive Team
Connie Clarke – Missouri Western, Sr.
Aubree Dewey – Washburn, Sr.
Kareena Gerber – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Jayna Green – Northwest Missouri, Sr.
Katie Wagner – Fort Hays State, Sr.
ALL-MIAA First Team
Connie Clarke – Missouri Western, Sr.
Karenna Gerber – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Brooke Littrell – Central Missouri, R-Jr.
Grace Plye – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Katie Wagner – Fort Hays State, Sr.
ALL-MIAA Second Team
Brionna Budgetts – Missouri Western, Sr.
Molly Hartnett – Northwest Missouri, Jr.
Kryslyn Jones – Missouri Southern, Sr.
Shiloh McCool – Nebraska Kearney, Sr.
Olivia Nelson – Central Missouri, R-Jr.
ALL-MIAA Third Team
Ashlyn Alloway – Lincoln, So.
Aubree Dewey – Washburn, Sr.
Caely Kesten – Northwest Missouri, Jr.
Olivia Hollenbeck – Fort Hays State, Sr.
Faith Paramore – Emporia State, Sr.
ALL-MIAA Honorable Mention
Aliyah Llanusa – Central Oklahoma, Sr.
Ryan Franklin – Missouri Southern, Fr.
Kaitlyn Hunnicutt – Missouri Southern, Jr.
Brandi Hudson – Missouri Southern, Sr.
Jill Aschoff – Nebraska Kearney, So.
Courtney Lee – Northeastern State, Jr.
Halie Jones – Northeastern State, Sr.
Harper Schreiner – Pittsburg State, So.
Alayzha Knapp – Rogers State, Sr.
Yiibari Nwidadah – Washburn, So.