Women’s Hoops Doles Out Postseason Team Awards

Fifteen Titans earn letters

4/23/2025 2:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball head coach Mia Smith handed out team awards Sunday, April 13, at the program's annual end of season banquet. Senior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) and junior Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) were voted the team's Co-Most Valuable Players, while junior Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) garnered Defensive Player of the Year status. Fifth-year Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) was selected as the recipient of the team's All-American Titan Award.

Huber, Knutson, and fellow seniors Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) and Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) served as captains for the Green and White during a tremendous 2024-25 campaign. The Titans posted a 28-2 overall record, winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament titles.

Huber, a First Team All-CCIW pick and nominee for the league's player of the year, reeled in countless awards following a stellar senior season. She was recognized as a Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America selection and was named D3hoops.com Third Team All-America. She tied for the team lead with 15.0 points per game alongside a team-leading 7.8 rebounds per contest. Huber finished third on the team with 72 assists and added 37 steals. The Lombard, Ill. native broke the program's career scoring record, a mark that had stood for nearly 30 years, as she finished her career with 1700 points.

Bardic reeled in First Team All-CCIW and D3hoops.com All-Region honors. A feared offensive threat, Bardic tied for the team lead with 15.0 points per game. She ranked second on the team in assists (73) and steals (71), while connecting on 60 three-pointers during the year. She surpassed 1000 points for her career, spanning her year at Illinois-Springfield and her two at IWU. Bardic led the team with 16 rejections and played a team-high 29.3 minutes per game. Bardic led the CCIW and ranked 13th nationally with a free throw percentage of 87.0.

An elite defender, White wreaked havoc on the opposition. One season after breaking the program's single-season steals record, White tallied a team-high 96 steals. She finished the season ranked 11th nationally with 96 thefts, while her 3.2 per game were 20th-best in Division III. A Second Team All-CCIW selection, White averaged 6.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest, while dishing out a team-high 80 assists.

Knutson put together a tremendous senior season, recording career-highs in nearly every statistical category. She averaged 7.1 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per contest. Knutson notched 36 assists, 17 steals, and six blocks. The Maryville, Ill. native connected on 51.1 percent of her shot attempts, the best clip on the team, while playing in every game. She recorded double-digit points in nine games.

In all, Smith awarded letters to 15 student-athletes, 11 of which are set to return in 2025-26.

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