MILWAUKEE, Wis. (naccsports.org) --- The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) has announced its major award winners and all-conference team for the 2025-2026 women's basketball season.
St. Norbert College senior forward
Taylor Thiry repeated as NACC Player of the Year, while Wisconsin Lutheran College sophomore guard/forward
Lily Oiler was named NACC Defensive Player of the Year and Concordia University Chicago guard
Ai Yonemura was named NACC Freshman of the Year. Additionally, the Wisconsin Lutheran coaching staff was recognized as the NACC Coaching Staff of the Year.
All awards were determined by a vote of the league's head coaches.
NACC Player of the Year - Taylor Thiry, Sr., F, St. Norbert College
Thiry has played in all 24 of St. Norbert's games this season, averaging 16.21 points and 6.96 rebounds per game while leading the Green Knights to a 17-7 record overall and a second-place finish in the conference with a 16-2 mark.
She currently leads all NACC players in field goal percentage at a solid 51.2 percent (154-of-301) and free throw percentage at 83.2 percent (79-of-95). Additionally, Thiry is second in the NACC in free throws made, third in field goals made and scoring average, and fourth in total points (389).
Thiry has scored in double figures in 19 of her 24 games played, scoring a season-high 28 points on 12-of-21 shooting against Whitworth in Hawai'i in December. She also reached double figures in rebounds on four occations, hauling in a season-best 11 boards each time. Thiry also came tantalizingly close to posting just the 15th triple-double in NACC history while in Hawai'i, registering 18 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists against McMurry.
This is the third time in four years that a St. Norbert player has been named NACC Player of the Year. In addition to Thiry's consecutive honors,
Olivia DeCleene scored the honor in 2023. Thiry is also the fifth individual to earn multiple NACC Player of the Year honors, joining Edgewood's
Megan Scheele (2008, 2009), MSOE's
Holly Denfield (2016, 2017), Wisconsin Lutheran's
Jen Dowden (2018, 2019), and Benedictine's
Alex Fanning (2020, 2022)
NACC Defensive Player of the Year - Lily Oiler, So., G/F, Wisconsin Lutheran College
Oiler has played in all 26 games for the Warriors through Wednesday's NACC Tournament opener, averaging 2.54 points and 1.96 rebounds per game. Throughout the season, she was assigned to defend the opponent's best guards and best scorers.
Oiler has totaled 66 points, 51 rebounds, 47 assists, and 16 steals. She posted a season-high seven points on three occasions - Jan. 17 at Benedictine, Jan. 28 against MSOE, and Feb. 4 at Aurora. Oiler recorded her season best of six rebounds in the initial meeting with the Spartans on Dec. 3 and had a season-best five steals in five separate games.
Oiler is the fifth Wisconsin Lutheran student-athlete to be named NACC Defensive Player of the Year, accounting for six total honors, and the first since
Kaitlyn Shadoski in 2022.
NACC Freshman of the Year - Ai Yonemura, G, Concordia University Chicago
Yonemura played in 24 of 25 games for Concordia Chicago this season, averaging 16.8 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game as the Cougars doubled their win total from a year ago. Heading into the NACC Tournament, she led all NACC players in assists (93), assists per game, field goal attempts (396), and free throws (87), while ranking second in field goals made (152), total points (402), and scoring average, fourth in 3-point attempts (142), fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.15), and eighth in both steals (55) and steals per game (2.29).
Yonemura scored in double figures 20 times, dropping a season-high 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting - including a 6-of-6 effort from 3-point range - in an overtime loss to Albion in November. In all, she exceeded 20 points on six occasions. Yonemura attempted at least 20 shots from the field eight times during the year, including a league season-high 25 shot attempts against Dominican in her final game of the season on Feb. 18. She came close to a trio of double-doubles - all using different metrics - with season-high marks of nine assists (Jan. 28 vs. CUW), eight rebounds (Dec. 31 vs. Anderson, Ind.), and eight steals (Nov. 11 vs. North Central, Ill.).
Yonemura is the second Concordia Chicago student-athlete to be named NACC Freshman of the Year, joining
Marche Smith in 2008.
NACC Coaching Staff of the Year - Wisconsin Lutheran College (Klay Knueppel, head coach)
In his 22nd season, head coach
Klay Knueppel has directed the Warriors to a 21-5 record overall, the program's 12th NACC title with a 17-1 mark, and the No. 1 seed in the 2026 NACC Women's Basketball Tournament.
Wisconsin Lutheran has been one of the top shooting teams in NCAA Division III this season, entering the NACC Tournament ranked 15th in field goal percentage (43.5 percent) - a mark that ranks second in the NACC behind St. Norbert. The Warriors currently lead the league in rebounding margin (+9.1), rebounds per game (41.12), field goal percentage defense (.341), 3-point percentage defense (.237), rank second in field goal percentage, free throws made (12.56) and attempted (17.96) per game, defensive rebounds per game (27.5), scoring defense (52.8 ppg), scoring margin (+17.9), and third in assists per game (14.0), total points (1,768), scoring offense (70.7 ppg), and 3-point percentage (.299).
Knueppel is assisted by
Julie Langebartels,
Brook Smith, and
Mikayla Dogs.
This is the eighth time that Knueppel or a Knueppel-led staff has been recognized its peers (2013, 2015, 2018-19, 2021-North, 2022, 2024, 2026).
All-Conference Teams Announced
Twelve of 13 NACC programs were represented on this year's two 10-member all-conference teams. Wisconsin Lutheran had a league-best four athletes recognized - two each on the first and second teams. St. Norbert was next with three selections, landing two on the second team in addition to Thiry as Player of the Year.
Aurora and MSOE each landed both of their selections on the first team, whlie Benedictine saw its two picks split between the two teams. Concordia Chicago and Concordia Wisconsin had one first-team all-NACC pick apiece, while Dominican, Edgewood, Lakeland, Marian, and Rockford all saw their lone honorees land on the second team.
| 2025-2026 All-NACC Women's Basketball Team |
| Player of the Year - Taylor Thiry, sr., F, St. Norbert College |
| Defensive Player of the Year - Lily Oiler, so., G/F, Wisconsin Lutheran College |
| Freshman of the Year - Ai Yonemura, G, Concordia University Chicago |
| Coaching Staff of the Year - Wisconsin Lutheran College (Klay Knueppel, head coach) |
|
| First Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Kylie Fischbach |
Aurora |
Sr. |
F |
Rock Falls, Ill. |
| Krystyna Manzanarez |
Aurora |
So. |
G |
Grand Junction, Colo. |
| Allison Jarvis |
Benedictine |
So. |
G |
Woodridge, Ill. |
| Ai Yonemura |
Concordia Chicago |
Fr. |
G |
Yachiyo, Chiba, Japan |
| Andrea Butterbrodt |
Concordia Wisconsin |
Jr. |
F |
Green Bay, Wis. |
| Halena Hill |
MSOE |
Jr. |
G |
Chandler, Ariz. |
| Lana Kerley |
MSOE |
So. |
G/F |
Frankfort, Ill. |
| Taylor Thiry |
St. Norbert |
Sr. |
F |
Casco, Wis. |
| Abby Cole |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
So. |
F |
Fond du Lac, Wis. |
| Margie Stevens |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Jr. |
F |
Oneida, Wis. |
| Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Abby Drendel |
Benedictine |
Jr. |
G |
Naperville, Ill. |
| Lia Saunders |
Dominican |
Jr. |
G |
Hampshire, Ill. |
| Laci Lindsey |
Edgewood |
Fr. |
G |
Mineral Point, Wis. |
| Alexis Johnson |
Lakeland |
Sr. |
G |
Sheboygan, Wis. |
| Chelsea King |
Marian |
Sr. |
G |
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. |
| Te Simpson |
Rockford |
Jr. |
C |
Fairfield, Texas |
| Olivia Conway |
St. Norbert |
So. |
G |
Wauwatosa, Wis. |
| Oakley Witteck |
St. Norbert |
Sr. |
G |
De Pere, Wis. |
| Kenly Frey |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Fr. |
G |
Brookfield, Wis. |
| Jayden Hill |
Wisconsin Lutheran |
Sr. |
G/F |
Kenosha, Wis. |
| Honorable Mention |
School |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Hometown |
| Alina Anderson |
Aurora |
Sr. |
F |
Romeoville, Ill. |
| Riley Doggett |
Aurora |
Jr. |
G |
Oswego, Ill. |
| Makenzie Carroll |
Benedictine |
Sr. |
G |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Megan Duzansky |
Benedictine |
Sr. |
F |
Mokena, Ill. |
| Grace King |
Concordia Chicago |
So. |
F |
Fairland, Ind. |
| Kate Gunderson |
Edgewood |
Sr. |
G |
Edgerton, Wis. |
| Taylor Wollin |
Edgewood |
So. |
G/F |
Lake MIlls, Wis. |
| Chloe Churilla |
Illinois Tech |
Sr. |
F |
Highland, Ind. |
| A.T. Bartlett |
Lakeland |
Sr. |
G |
Farmington Hills, Mich. |
| Mahima Chokshi |
MSOE |
Sr. |
G |
Park Ridge, Ill. |