I hope everyone had a great summer! As always, I want to first thank you for all your support of Northwest and our student athletes. Your generosity and belief in our program continue to make a tremendous impact on the experience we can provide our players.
We are excited about the season ahead and the group we have in place. Last season, we finished 18-12 overall and fifth in the MIAA, with nearly 90% of our minutes played by underclassmen. Freshman Bailey Birmingham and sophomore Sadie Maas were named Honorable Mention All-MIAA, and Sadie was named the 2025-26 MIAA Defensive Player of the Year.
We graduated two outstanding seniors, Emree Zars and Ella Moody, who represented our program the right way. Ella finished her career with more wins than any four-year Bearcat women’s basketball player in the last 35 years.
One thing we are especially proud of is our player retention, as not one player from last year’s team entered the transfer portal. While we may not have the NIL opportunities of Division I programs, your support helps us provide a great overall college experience for our student-athletes. That investment in their experience plays a major role in our ability to retain players and build continuity within our program which a lot of programs are struggling with.
Our success goes beyond the basketball court. Last semester, our team earned a 3.71 GPA, continuing the high academic standard we expect from our student-athletes.
As we have raised the level of our program during our tenure, our message to our team is simple: it’s time to take the next step from good to great. We will continue raising our standard and remain committed to the daily process, while never losing sight of our North Star goal of bringing a women’s basketball championship to NW Missouri State.
Your support through the Bleed Green Athletic Day of Giving plays a huge role in that pursuit. It helps provide our student-athletes with uniforms, gear, travel, player development resources, and experiences necessary to compete at a championship level.
We are incredibly excited about this group and where our program is headed. Thank you for believing in our student athletes and Bearcat Women’s Basketball and for continuing to be part of our journey.
Go Bearcats!
- Austin Meyer
