Women's Basketball

MIAC announces 2022-23 women’s basketball awards

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its women’s basketball awards for the 2022-23 season on Wednesday.
 
St. Olaf senior forward Rachel Kelly and Hamline senior guard Chan’el Anderson-Manning were voted the MIAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, while St. Scholastica first-year guard Lexi Imdieke received MIAC Rookie of the Year honors, and Concordia head coach Kim Wagers was celebrated as the MIAC Coach of the Year.
 
Kelly (Northfield, Minn.) was named MIAC Offensive Player of the Year after averaging 16.8 points per game and leading all conference scorers with a field goal percentage of .566 in 22 MIAC contests. She eclipsed the 20-point plateau in seven of those games and led the league with eight double-doubles on the season. Kelly is one of three Oles in recorded MIAC history to receive individual conference honors for women’s basketball, joining 2019 Rookie of the Year K’Lynn Lewis and 2013 Sixth Player of the Year Kim Cerjan. Kelly was also MIAC Sixth Player of the Year in 2020.
 
Anderson-Manning (St. Paul, Minn. | Cretin-Derham Hall) was named MIAC Defensive Player of the Year after corralling 49 steals and 70 rebounds in 22 conference games. She also added 10 blocked shots on the year. Anderson-Manning is the first Piper to receive individual conference honors in women’s basketball since Mary Wilkowski was named MIAC Player of the Year in 2011.
 
Imdieke (Andover, Minn.) was named MIAC Rookie of the Year after leading all first-year players with an average of 12.3 points per game this season. A starter in every game, Imdieke also led all MIAC first-year players in minutes played, averaging 30.5 minutes per game in her debut season. Imdieke is the first Saint ever to receive individual MIAC honors in women’s basketball.
 
Wagers (Fourth Season) led the Cobbers to an 18-4 record in conference play, a 10-1 record at home against MIAC foes, and the No. 2 seed in the MIAC Playoffs – all resulting in the program’s most successful season since 2016. Wagers joins Jessica Rahman (2005, 2009) as Cobber head coaches to be named MIAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.

In addition to the individual awards, 19 players were named All-Conference and eight received honorable mention distinction. All awards were nominated by and voted on by the 12 MIAC head women’s basketball coaches and only statistics from MIAC contests were considered for conference honors; any nominated player not selected as All-Conference but still receiving votes from at least three coaches was named honorable mention.

Seven of the 19 All-Conference selections were also selected in 2022. St. Olaf forward Rachel Kelly and Hamline forward Lydia Lecher both earned their third straight All-MIAC accolades, landing them among just 70 women’s basketball players in recorded MIAC history to be named to at least three All-Conference teams.
 
The MIAC also announced the inaugural All-Playoff Team for women’s basketball, which recognized the top nine performers from the conference tournament, as selected by playoff-participant head coaches.
2022-23 MIAC Women’s Basketball Offensive Player of the Year
Position Name Institution Class Hometown | High School Previous Selections
F Rachel Kelly St. Olaf Sr. Northfield, Minn. --
 
2022-23 MIAC Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year
Position Name Institution Class Hometown | High School Previous Selections
G Chan’el Anderson-Manning Hamline Sr. St. Paul, Minn. | Cretin-Derham Hall --
 
2022-23 MIAC Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year
Position Name Institution Class Hometown | High School
G Lexi Imdieke St. Scholastica Fy. Andover, Minn.
 
2022-23 MIAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year
Name Institution Previous Selections
Kim Wagers Concordia --
2022-23 MIAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference
Position Name Institution Class Hometown | High School Previous Selections
F Makayla Anderson Concordia So. Bismarck, N.D. | Century --
G Chan’el Anderson-Manning Hamline Sr. St. Paul, Minn. | Cretin-Derham Hall 2019 (HM) | 2022 (HM)
G Kylie Baranick Gustavus So. Maple Grove, Minn. --
G Emily Beseman Concordia Sr. Swanville, Minn. --
F Jasmine Choi Carleton Jr. Maple Grove, Minn. | Osseo 2022
F Jaley Coplin Augsburg Sr. Shakopee, Minn. 2022 (HM)
G Anna Garfield Bethel Jr. Ham Lake, Minn. | Blaine --
G Sophia Jonas Saint Benedict So. Hudson, Wis. 2022 (HM)
F Rachel Kawiecki Gustavus So. Richfield, Minn. | Academy of Holy Angels --
F Rachel Kelly St. Olaf Sr. Northfield, Minn. 2020 | 2022
G Emma Kniefel Gustavus Jr. Medford, Minn. 2022
F Lydia Lecher Hamline Jr. St. Paul, Minn. | Concordia Academy 2020 | 2022
G Carla Meyer Saint Benedict Jr. New Brighton, Minn. | Totino-Grace 2022
G Courtney Nuest Bethel So. Becker, Minn. --
F Sam Orth St. Catherine Sr. Maple Grove, Minn. | Rogers 2022 (HM)
G/F Brooklyn Paulson Saint Mary’s Sr. Holmen, Wis. 2019 (HM) | 2020 (HM) | 2022 (AC)
G Anna Sanders Gustavus Sr. Vadnais Heights, Minn. | White Bear Lake 2022
G Carlee Sieben Concordia So. Grafton, N.D. --
G/F Peyton Starks Macalester So. St. Louis, Mo. | John Burroughs School --
2022-23 MIAC Women’s Basketball Honorable Mention
Position Name Institution Class Hometown | High School Previous Selections
F Grace Benz Gustavus Sr. Steele, N.D. | Kidder County --
F Bree Glynn St. Catherine Sr. Blaine, Minn. | Totino-Grace 2022 (HM)
G Izzy Goettelman Saint Mary’s So. Winona, Minn. 2022 (HM)
G/F Grace Hegland St. Olaf Sr. Appleton, Minn. | Lac Qui Parle Valley --
G Lexi Imdieke St. Scholastica Fy. Andover, Minn. --
G/F Katherine Norquist Macalester So. Chicago, Ill. | Walter Payton College Prep --
F Anja Smith Augsburg Jr. Kewaskum, Wis. | Saint Mary’s Springs 2022 (AC)
G Alyssa Williamson Hamline Sr. Sherburn, Minn. | Martin County West --
2023 MIAC Women’s Basketball All-Playoff Team
Position Name Institution Class Hometown | High School Previous Selections
G Kylie Baranick Gustavus So. Maple Grove, Minn. --
G Emily Beseman Concordia Sr. Swanville, Minn. --
G Anna Garfield Bethel Jr. Ham Lake, Minn. | Blaine --
F Rachel Kelly St. Olaf Sr. Northfield, Minn. --
G Emma Kniefel Gustavus Jr. Medford, Minn. --
F Lydia Lecher Hamline Jr. St. Paul, Minn. | Concordia Academy --
G Carla Meyer Saint Benedict Jr. New Brighton, Minn. | Totino-Grace --
G Anna Sanders Gustavus Sr. Vadnais Heights, Minn. | White Bear Lake  
G Carlee Sieben Concordia So. Grafton, N.D. --