TOPEKA, Kan. -- Payton Sterk and Yiibari Nwidadah were both selected as All-MIAA second team selections announced by the conference on Wednesday morning. Additionally, Sterk earned the honor of Co-Newcomer of the Year while Nwidadah was one of five players selected to the All-Defensive team.  

Yiibari Nwidadah earns All-Conference honors for the second time in her career and for a second straight season after being named an honorable mention a season ago. In 28.3 mpg the junior led Washburn in scoring at 16.6 ppg while shooting a team and conference high 63.3% from the floor. She tallied seven double-doubles while pulling down 7.8 rpg with 2.7 on the offensive end. On the offensive end Nwidadah had 11 outings scoring 20 or more points including a new career high at Quincy on Nov. 16 scoring 29 on 12-16 shooting. She finished the regular season 4th nationally in FG% while ranking 6th in the MIAA in ppg and 10th in bpg.  

She was also named to the All-Defensive team for the first time in her career. On that side of the ball she tallied 0.9 bpt and 0.7 rpg. She was a big part in ending possessions, grabbing the sixth most rpg in the conference.  

Payton Sterk finished second on the team scoring 16.4 ppg while playing and starting all 29 games logging a team-high 31.1 mpg. She added 3.3 rpg and 2.3 apg while shooting a team-high 39.2% from deep and drilling 62 3-pointers, a team-high. The junior guard had 10 games scoring at least 20 points including three 30+ point performances. She scored a Washburn career-high of 33 points with seven made 3-pointers on Feb. 13 against Arkansas-Fort Smith. The Colorado Springs, Colo. Native finished 2nd in the MIAA in both total points and 3-point percentage which she ranked 18th nationally. She was also second in free throw percentage in the conference and fourth in total triples made.  

Sterk was also selected as the Co-Newcomer of the Year in the conference along with Reese Schaaf of Central Missouri. Her first season in Topeka saw her help the Ichabods to a six-win improvement in MIAA play from a season ago.  

With both Nwidadah and Sterk making the second team it is the first time two Ichabods have landed on the All-MIAA second team since 2006-07 (Corkey Stiger and Amanda Holmes). Washburn had also not had a player on the second team or higher since Hunter Bentley earned second team honors in 2020-21.  

The Ichabods are seeded as the No. 5 team in the MIAA Tournament and will face No. 4 Nebraska Kearney in the quarterfinals on Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m. inside Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.  

2024-25 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS & ALL-MIAA TEAMS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Katie DeGarmo, Fort Hays State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Olivia Hollenbeck, Fort Hays State
CO-NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Reese Schaaf, Central Missouri
CO-NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Payton Sterk, Washburn
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Anna Trusty, Arkansas-Fort Smith
COACH OF THE YEAR: Amanda Davied, Pittsburg State 

MIAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Alyssa Bonilla – Missouri Western, Sr.
Kate Dilsaver – Fort Hays State, Sr.
Karenna Gerber – Pittsburg State, Sr.
Olivia Hollenbeck – Fort Hays State, Gr.
Yiibari Nwidadah – Washburn, Jr.
 
ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM
Alyssa Bonilla – Missouri Western, Sr.
Katie DeGarmo – Fort Hays State, Gr.
Karenna Gerber – Pittsburg State, Sr.
Olivia Hollenbeck – Fort Hays State, Gr.
Grace Pyle – Pittsburg State, Sr.
 
ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM
Jillian Aschoff – Nebraska Kearney, R-Jr.
Caely Kesten – Northwest Missouri, Sr.
Yiibari Nwidadah – Washburn, Jr.
Reese Schaaf – Central Missouri, Jr.
Payton Sterk – Washburn, Jr.
 
ALL-MIAA THIRD TEAM
Ryan Franklin – Missouri Southern, So. 
Molly Hartnett – Northwest Missouri, Sr.
Macie Mays – Pittsburg State, So.
Anna Trusty – Arkansas-Fort Smith, Fr.
Kia Wilson – Nebraska Kearney, Gr.

ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION
Morgan Browning – Arkansas-Fort Smith, Sr.
Kate Dilsaver – Fort Hays State, Sr.
Gracie Gilpin – Emporia State, Jr.
Katie Horyna – Emporia State, Sr.
Kaitlin Hunnicutt – Missouri Southern, Sr.
Brooke Loewe – Fort Hays State, Jr.
Samantha Moore – Nebraska Kearney, Sr.
Harper Schreiner – Pittsburg State, Jr.
Marie Sepp – Missouri Western, Jr.
Talexa Weeter – Fort Hays State, So.
Taylor Weishaar – Central Missouri, Fr.