2025-26 Women's Basketball Team Photo - 1920x1080

Women’s Basketball Announces Team Awards

Bardic & White voted MVPs

4/27/2026 5:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan University head women's basketball coach Mia Smith announced the team's annual awardwinners Sunday, April 19, at the program's yearly end of season banquet. Seniors Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) and Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) were voted the team's Most Valuable Players, while classmates Payton Jacob (St. Joseph, Ill.-St. Joseph-Ogden) and Laura Mahlum (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) snagged the All-American Titan award. In all, 18 Titans earned letters.

Bardic and White served as captains for the Green and White during a strong 2025-26 campaign. The Titans posted a 23-6 overall record, winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season and tournament titles.

Bardic was voted the team's Offensive MVP in her final season donning the Green and White. Averaging 19.3 points per game, Bardic torched opponents for 561 points over the course of the season. Her total is third-most in a single season in program history, while it ranked 12th across Division III this year. She ranks 23rd in points per game, 72nd in three-pointers made (58), and 76th in steals (70). Bardic landed First Team All-Region 8 honors from D3hoops.com and was also a unanimous First Team All-CCIW pick. She closed her career with Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention and D3hoops.com Fourth Team All-America honors.

White, who garnered Defensive MVP status, graduates as one of the top defensive players in CCIW history. A College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-America pick, White scored a career-high 390 points, averaging 13.4 points per game. On the defensive end, she led the team with 111 steals en route to breaking IWU's career steals record. A unanimous First Team All-CCIW pick, White was voted D3hoops.com Second Team All-Region 8 and BCA All-America Honorable Mention. She also hauled in CCIW Player of the Week and D3hoops Team of the Week honors.

Jacob and Mahlum shared the All-American Titan award for their all-around embodiment of what it means to be a Titan women's basketball player. The two showed an incredible commitment to the team as well as in the community and academically.

In all, Smith awarded letters to 18 student-athletes, 12 of which are set to return in 2026-27.

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