ST. LOUIS, Mo. – A foursome of Drake women has been named to the 2025-26 Missouri Valley Conference Players to Watch List, the league announced Wednesday morning. Seniors
Abbie Aalsma and
Ava Hawthorne, along with freshmen
Anna Becker and
Mylea Monahan, were included as Drake's representatives.
Aalsma, a native of Waupun, Wis., was an MVC Third Team Scholar-Athlete and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree a season ago. She began her first year at Drake coming off the bench before entering the starting lineup. Aalsma played in all 34 games with 28 starts while shooting 49 percent from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range. She grabbed 64 total rebounds, distributed 67 assists and made 18 steals last season. Her single-game scoring record as a Bulldog came at Southern Illinois with 20 points on six made triples.
Hawthorne has been a mainstay in the Bulldogs' rotation for her entire career. A season ago, the Gilbert High School graduate started six times but appeared in 34 games. She shot 48 percent from the floor and 39 percent from behind the 3-point arc with an average of 6.1 points per game. Ava scored her career-high 19 points, including four made threes, against Saint Louis in a November 2024 victory.
Becker, a 5'10" guard from Topeka, Kan. where she attended Seaman High School, will look to make an immediate impact for the Dogs. Becker had a decorated prep career for the Vikings with a pair of United Kansas Conference (UKC) Player of the Year Awards, plus multiple All-UKC, All-Shawnee County, and All-State honors. Becker was named the Dan Key Rising Star Female Athlete of the Year as a junior. On the court, she has averaged double figure points all three years as a varsity contributor.
Monahan continues a special connection with Drake women's basketball as her older sister, Maddie, was a star for the Bulldogs from 2017-22 and was her high school coach at Glencoe-Silver Lake. A three-sport athlete, Monahan earned all-conference honors and varsity letters in basketball, soccer, and track & field. She helped lead the Panthers to three consecutive section finals and is also in line to contribute early in her Bulldog career.
The entire MVC Players to Watch List is included below.
The 2025-26 Drake women's basketball season will officially begin on Nov. 3 at Eastern Illinois after the Bulldogs host Dakota Wesleyan on Oct. 28 for an exhibition contest.
| Institution |
Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Hometown (Previous School) |
| Belmont |
Jailyn Banks |
Jr. |
G |
5-9 |
Spring Hill, Tenn. (Middle Tennessee Christian School) |
| Belmont |
Tuti Jones |
Gr. |
G |
5-7 |
Troy, Ala. (Charles Henderson HS) |
| Belmont |
Emily La Chapell |
Sr. |
G |
5-11 |
Appleton, Wis. (Marquette) |
| Belmont |
Avery Strickland |
Gr. |
G |
5-10 |
Knoxville, Tenn. (Tennessee) |
| Bradley |
Ellie McDermid |
So. |
F |
6-1 |
Green Bay, Wis. (Bay Port HS) |
| Bradley |
Kaylen Nelson |
5th |
G/F |
5-10 |
Tulsa, Okla. (Old Dominion) |
| Bradley |
Amy O'Hara |
Sr. |
F |
6-2 |
Melbourne, Australia (George Mason) |
| Bradley |
Tamia Perryman |
Gr. |
G/F |
5-8 |
Indianapolis, Ind. (Marian University) |
| Drake |
Abbie Aalsma |
Sr. |
G |
5-9 |
Waupun, Wis. (Illinois State) |
| Drake |
Anna Becker |
Fr. |
G |
5-10 |
Topeka, Kan. (Seaman HS) |
| Drake |
Ava Hawthorne |
Sr. |
G |
5-9 |
Ames, Iowa (Gilbert HS) |
| Drake |
Mylea Monahan |
Fr. |
G |
5-7 |
Silver Lake, Minn. (Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) |
| Evansville |
Logan Luebbers Palmer |
So. |
G |
5-9 |
Union, Ky. (Randall K. Cooper HS) |
| Evansville |
Kylee Norkus |
So. |
G |
5-10 |
Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley HS) |
| Evansville |
Camryn Runner |
So. |
G |
5-8 |
Cicero, Ind. (Hamilton Heights HS) |
| UIC |
Jessica Carrothers |
Sr. |
G |
5-7 |
Highland, Ind. (Butler/IU-Northwest) |
| UIC |
Jaya McClure |
R-Jr. |
G |
5-6 |
Louisville, Ky. (Ohio University) |
| UIC |
Samantha Serrano |
So. |
G |
5-10 |
Nanuet, N.Y. (Florida Southwestern State) |
| UIC |
Amelia Strong |
Sr. |
F |
6-2 |
Niagara Falls, N.Y. (Niagara) |
| Illinois State |
Addison Martin |
R-Sr. |
F |
6-1 |
Shreveport, La. (Abilene Christian) |
| Illinois State |
Nevaeh Thomas |
Jr. |
F |
6-1 |
Kenosha, Wis. (Evansville) |
| Indiana State |
Kennedy Claybrooks |
Sr. |
G |
5-6 |
Memphis, Tenn. (SEMO) |
| Indiana State |
Amerie Flowers |
So. |
F |
6-2 |
Willowbrook, Ill. (McLennan CC) |
| Indiana State |
Tierney Kelsey |
So. |
G |
5-6 |
Memphis, Tenn. (Jackson State) |
| Murray State |
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks |
Jr. |
F |
6-2 |
Jackson, Tenn. (Indiana) |
| Murray State |
Haven Ford |
Jr. |
G |
5-6 |
Morehead, Ky. (Rowan County HS) |
| Murray State |
Halli Poock |
Jr. |
G |
5-6 |
Waterloo, Iowa (Bradley) |
| Murray State |
Keslyn Secrist |
Jr. |
G |
5-10 |
Draper, Va. (Indiana State) |
| UNI |
Ryley Goebel |
Sr. |
F |
6-0 |
Urbana, Iowa (Center Point-Urbana HS) |
| UNI |
Elise Jaeger |
So. |
F |
6-2 |
West Des Moines, Iowa (Valley HS) |
| UNI |
Bri Robinson |
Jr. |
G |
5-8 |
Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln HS) |
| UNI |
Taryn Wharton |
Sr. |
G |
5-5 |
Bellevue, Neb. (Bellevue West HS) |
| Southern Illinois |
Indya Green |
Gr. |
F |
5-11 |
Springfield, Mo. (Georgia Southern) |
| Southern Illinois |
Alayna Kraus |
So. |
G |
5-8 |
Okawville, Ill. (Oral Roberts) |
| Valparaiso |
Fiona Connolly |
Sr. |
G |
5-8 |
South Burlington, Vt. (La Salle) |
| Valparaiso |
Maci Rhoades |
Sr. |
G |
5-11 |
Beavercreek, Ohio (Radford) |
