It's a Wrap! Women's Basketball-NCAA Division III
Every "It's a Wrap" edition puts this area's finest on display. This group is small in number, but not in accomplishments. Playing On Sports believes these ladies to be extraordinary by any measure.
What is Playing On Sports?
Playing On Sports covers the graduates of 1,000 high schools located in Kansas and Missouri who compete in 11 sports in any of the 1,100 NCAA Division I, II, or III colleges and universities.
Our best athletes go on to play the sport they love in college. It is impossible to keep track of them because our lives are busy. And then there is the Transfer Portal. Contact is lost. Until now. Playing on Sports is the only publication that delivers so much information on so many athletes as they compete at the next level. No longer are they “Out of sight, out of mind”.
Every athlete is identified by their name, sport, position, class, high school, college, and collegiate conference.
If the collegiate accomplishments of your favorite high school athletes interest you, then get your free subscription now:
This Series
This is the beginning of the wrapping up of the Basketball Season. Why now? We have to wait until all of the honors are awarded. Now that we have the information, so do you. You won’t want to miss our comprehensive accounting of awards won and statistics generated by the men and the women in all three divisions. In each edition you will see, athlete by athlete, who earned what season honor, and who placed highly in a statistical category. You will see photos and hear from their collegiate coaches. You will also have complete season stats for every athlete from Missouri and Kansas who occupied a spot on an NCAA Basketball roster.
Men’s Basketball - Division I - 111 Athletes - Coming Soon!
Women’s Basketball - Division I - 122 Athletes - Coming Soon!
Men’s Basketball - Division II - 152 Athletes - Coming Soon!
Women’s Basketball - Division II - 166 Athletes - Coming Soon!
Men’s Basketball - Division III - 116 Athletes - Coming Soon!
Women’s Basketball - Division III - 88 Athletes - This is it!
That’s right! All 755 athletes. Who is All-Conference? All-America? Player of the Year? Who scored the most? Who got the most steals? You see the awards of those honored and statistics for each of the 756 athletes. Find out what their coaches think about them. You can’t find all of this in one place anywhere else. This is your opportunity to get your free subscription right now:
The Spring Season
Playing On Sports covers four Spring Sports. We post Leaderboards and Mid-Season Reviews for each. They are all Kansas and Missouri athletes competing at any of the 1.100 NCAA colleges and universities. That is why we break them down into logical groups. Batters and Pitchers. Division I, II, and III. The Lacrosse athletes are presented with all three divisions combined.
Here is a list of the articles in this series:
Baseball - Division I - 130 Batters and 143 Pitchers - See it here!
Baseball - Division II - 261 Batters and 240 Pitchers - Coming Soon!
Baseball - Division III - Coming Soon!
Softball - Division I- 146 Batters and 43 Pitchers - See it here!
Softball - Division II - 187 Batters and 63 Pitchers - Coming Soon
Softball - Division III - Coming Soon!
Men’s Lacrosse - Introductory Edition - See it here!
Men’s Lacrosse - All Divisions - Coming Soon!
Women’s Lacrosse - Introductory Edition - See it here!
Women’s Lacrosse - All Divisions - Coming Soon
With all that on its way, get your FREE subscription now!
Highlighting Division III Women’s Basketball
Of these 88 athletes, 20 met a benchmark to be highlighted. Twelve were named to an All-Conference team, with seven of those being on the first team. Natalie Bruns (Kirkwood/New York University) was named the University Athletic Association’s WBB Player of the Year. More on Natalie below!! Annette Ramirez (Sarcoxie/Westminster College-MO) was named the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference WBB Player of the Year for the second time. And she is just a junior.
There were 60 times where a Missouri/Kansas athlete finished in the Top Five in a statistical category. Nine of those times, they led their conference. Six times one of these ladies finished in the Top 20 of statistic nationally.
Academics hold a special place with these athletes. Nine earned CSC District All-Academic honors. Julie Baudendistel (Lindbergh/Webster University) was named to the CSC Third Team All-Academic Team. Was there a First Team All-Academic honoree? A First Team All-American? Keep reading!
Every one of these athletes deserve to be seen and highlighted for their accomplishments. One stands out and casts a large shadow. Natalie Bruns (Kirkwood/New York University) concluded an incredible career, both teamwise and individually. Following her freshman year, which was lost to the pandemic, Natalie’s teams were 81 and 5, never finishing below 6th in the country. Saving the best for last, she led her Violets to a 31 and 0 senior season, culminating in the Division III National Championship. Natalie led her conference in points, rebound, and blocked shots. In just three years, she blocked 237 shots. That shattered the prior school record by 55.
Natalie was named to the WBCA DIII First Team All-America Team for the second year in a row. This year she was also honored as the WBCA DIII WBB Player of the Year. She was named to the CSC Academic All-America Team for the second year in a row. This year the CSC also honored her as the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. That’s right. The best of the best as a basketball player and the best of the best academically. But don’t take our word for it. Just take a look at what NYU Women’s Basketball Coach Meg Barber had to say down below.
These are the highlights of the highlights. Read on to get the full measure of their accomplishments.
As Seen on Missouri Sports Network!
Check out Missouri Sports Network here! To see our first podcast together of “Where Are They Now Wednesdays”, click here!
The Spreadsheets
Don’t miss the spreadsheets attached at the end which contain eight biographical details along with 25 individual statistics for each of the 88 athletes. They are sorted by high school you can quickly find your favorite women basketball players.
What the Coaches Have to Say
Other than family and close friends, who would know these athletes better than anyone else? I suggest their collegiate coach. I asked some of the coaches what they thought about their athlete. Their words were formed by their experience that started with recruiting and followed through to performance on and off the field. Read what coaches had to say throughout the highlights below.
The High Schools
These Division III Women Basketball athletes come from 72 high schools throughout Missouri and Kansas. The high schools with the most graduates competing in NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball are:
Kirkwood - 4
Branson - 3
Ten tied with 2 each
The Criteria
If someone was on a NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball roster this year, they, and the numbers they produced are on the attached spreadsheet. To be highlighted below, these athletes achieved one or more of the following criteria:
All Conference Team
A conference season award
A conference weekly award
Top Five conference finish in a selected statistic
Top Twenty NCAA finish in a selected statistic
Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America
WBCA National Honor
CSC (College Sports Communicators) Academic All-District
CSC Academic All-America
Ja’mise Bailey - Junior - Guard - Webster Groves - Fontbonne University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference Player of the Week
Conference No. 2 3-PT Field Goals per Game - 2.0
Conference No. 2 Total 3-PT Goals - 53
Conference No. 4 Points per Game - 16.1
Conference No. 5 Total Points - 418
“Ja’mise had a huge year for us! She led us in almost every major stat category and hit countless clutch shots that led to wins or kept us in games.”
Michael Fitzgerald
Women’s Basketball Head Coach
Fontbonne University
Julie Baudendistel - Graduate Student - Guard - Lindbergh - Webster University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 2 Total Points - 455
Conference No. 3 Points per Game - 16.3
Conference No. 3 Field Goal Percentage - .487
CSC Academic All-District (Second consecutive year)
CSC Third Team Academic All-American (Also was Second Team in 2022-23)
Jessica Brooks - Senior - Guard - MICDS - Washington Univ.-St. Louis - University Athletic Association
First Team All-University Athletic Association
Conference No. 2 Points per Game - 16.6
Conference No. 2 Free Throw Percentage - .803
Conference No. 3 Rebounds per Game - 7.9
CSC Academic All-District
Taylor Brown - Sophomore - Guard - Lift for Life Academy - Principia College - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Second Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 4 Free Throw Percentage - .788
“Taylor is an exceptional talent with her ability to see the floor, command respect from the outside, and finish at the rim in a variety of ways. Taylor’s overall play is reinforced by being a great defender as she excels on the help side as well as on ball. Her positioning offensively and defensively comes from her high basketball n IQ and provides us with an instant edge on both ends of the floor.”
Ramiro Dominguez
Women’s Basketball Head Coach
Principia College
Natalie Bruns - Senior - Forward - Kirkwood - New York University - University Athletic Association
University Athletic Association Player of the Year (Second consecutive year)
First Team All-University Athletic Association
WBCA NCAA DIII Player of the Year
WBCA NCAA DIII All-America (Second consecutive year)
Conference No. 1 Total Points - 432
Conference No. 1 Total Rebounds - 220
Conference No. 1 Blocks per Game - 3.2
Conference No. 1 Total Blocks - 98
Conference No. 3 Assist/Turnover Ratio - 1.9
Conference No. 4 Field Goal Percentage - .550
Conference No. 4 Assists per Game - 3.6
Conference No. 4 Total Assists - 108
Conference No. 5 Rebounds per Game - 7.3
Conference No. 4 Total Minutes Played - 788
NCAA Division III No. 4 Total Blocks - 98
NCAA Division III No. 9 Blocks per Game - 3.16
CSC Academic All-District (Second consecutive year)
CSC First Team Academic All-America (Also was Third Team 2022-23)
CSC Academic All-America Team Member of the Year
“Natalie is one of the best to ever wear an NYU uniform. Her impact is felt both on and off the court as she has proven to be a tremendous leader and supportive teammate. She is one of the most elite defenders I have ever coached and her growth on the offensive side of the ball was a key catalyst to our run this season culminating in a National Championship.”
Meg Barber
Women’s Basketball Head Coach
New York University
Claudia Cooke - Senior - Center - Parkway Central - Kenyon College - North Coast Athletic Conference
Second Team All-North Coast Athletic Conference
Conference Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
Conference No. 2 Points per Game - 15.4
Conference No. 2 Total Points - 400
Conference No. 2 Rebounds per Game - 8.0
Conference No. 4 Blocked Shots per Game - 1.3
Conference No. 4 Total Blocks - 35
Conference No. 5 Field Goal Percentage - .486
Conference No. 5 Total Rebounds - 209
CSC Academic All-District
“I can’t say enough nice things about Claudia. She is a tremendous person, leader, and basketball player. She led out team in almost all statistical categories and scored at ease no matter the defensive coverage. Scoring over 900 points in three seasons is an incredible feat and to do so in this conference is very difficult. We will miss her offensively next season and her presence as a leader.”
Mary Corbett
Women’s Basketball Head Coach
Kenyon College
Jordyn Grimes - Senior - Guard - Fort Zumwalt North - Webster University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 3 Steals per Game - 2.6
Conference No. 3 Total Steals - 74
CSC Academic All-District (Second consecutive year)
Avery Halliday - Senior - Guard - Olathe South - Nebraska Wesleyan University - American Rivers Conference
CSC Academic All-District
Alana Hinson - Senior - Forward - St. Clair - Principia College - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 2 Total Minutes Played - 913
Conference No. 4 Minutes per Game - 33.8
Linnea Johansen - Senior - Forward - Parkway South - Augustana University-IL - College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
CSC Academic All-District
Bethany Lancaster - Senior - Forward - Buffalo - Webster University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference All-Defensive Team
Conference Player of the Week (Two Times)
Conference No. 4 Total Blocked Shots - 29
Conference No. 5 Rebounds per Game - 7.2
Conference No. 5 Blocked Shots per Game - 1.1
Conference No. 5 Total Rebounds - 194
Ella Mackiewicz - Sophomore - Guard - Shawnee Mission Northwest - Univ. of Wisconsin-Platteville - Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
First Team All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week
Conference No. 4 Total Points - 407
Conference No. 4 Points per Game - 15.7
Conference No. 4 Blocked Shots per Game - 1.0
Conference No. 4 Total Blocked Shots - 26
CSC Academic All-District (Second consecutive year)
Trinniti Matthews - Sophomore - Forward - Francis Howell Central - Principia College - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 3 Blocked Shots per Game - 1.2
Conference No. 3 Total Blocked Shots - 31
Savanna Powell-Goodman - Junior - Guard - Republic - Greenville University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Second Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 2 Steals per Game - 2.9
Conference No. 2 Total Steals - 75
Conference No. 3 Free Throw Percentage - .824
Avylina Powell-Qualo - Senior - Forward - Republic - Westminster College-MO - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Second Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 2 Field Goal Percentage - .568
NCAA Division III No. 17 Field Goal Percentage - .568
Annette Ramirez - Junior - Guard - Sarcoxie - Westminster College-MO - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year (Second Consecutive Year)
First Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference All-Defensive Team
Conference Player of the Week (Two Times)
Conference No. 1 Points per Game - 20.8
Conference No. 1 Total Minutes Played - 926
Conference No. 1 Total Points - 562
Conference No. 3 Steals per Game - 2.6
Conference No. 3 Minutes per Game - 34.3
Conference No. 4 Total Steals - 71
Conference No. 5 Field Goal Percentage - .467
Conference No. 5 Free Throw Percentage - .771
NCAA Division III No. 13 Points per Game - 20.8
NCAA Division III No. 14 Total Points - 562
Annie Restovich - Freshman - Guard - Visitation Academy - St. Mary’s College-IN - Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 3 Total 3-PT Shots Made - 57
Kate Rolfes - Senior - Guard - Incarnate Word Academy - Webster University - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Third Team All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference No. 2 3-PT Field Goals per Game - 2.0
Conference No. 5 Total 3-PT Goals - 47
Peyton Starks - Junior - Guard - John Burroughs - Macalester College - Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
First Team All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference Defensive Player of the Week
Conference No. 1 Points per Game - 18.4
Conference No. 1 Free Throw Percentage - .891
Conference No. 3 Minutes per Game - 33.4
NCAA Division III No. 4 Free Throw Percentage - .891
CSC Academic All-District (Second consecutive year)
“On paper, and in my opinion Peyton is one of the best scorers in Division III basketball. Her efficiency is off the charts and it makes her nearly impossible to defend. The think most people miss though is Peyton’s relentless commitment to the process. She is always in the gym, always asking the right questions, and always looking for ways to get better and expand her game. She’s what you hope for when you recruit a player. Our program has definitely taken the right steps forward with her in it. I’m excited to see where she help take us next season!”
Katie Kollar
Women’s Basketball Head Coach
Macalester College
Ariana Williams - Sophomore - Forward - Gateway Legacy Christian Academy - Principia College - St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Conference All-Defensive Team
Here is the Spreadsheet with eight demographic details and 25 statistics for every Missouri and Kansas athlete who competed in NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball. The list is sorted first by high school, then by the athlete’s last name.
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