HOPEWELL, N.J. – Junior forward Avery Koenen has been named to the preseason watch list for the 2026 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoops Stats, the organization announced on Wednesday.

Koenen becomes the first player in Bison history to earn a spot on the 25-player preseason watch list. She's also one of only two players in the Summit League to earn the preseason recognition, joining Brooklyn Meyer from South Dakota State.

Koenen contributed a team-high 14.5 points and hauled in a team-best 7.9 rebounds per game last season for the Bison. Her 7.9 rebounds per game ranked third in the Summit League. Koenen logged double digits in scoring in 24-of-33 games last season, including nine 20-point performances. The Montevideo, Minn., native was also named to the All-Summit League Preseason First Team earlier this month.

The full release can be viewed here.

The Bison will open the 2025-26 season at Northern Iowa on Monday, Nov. 3. Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m.
 

Award Eligibility & Schedule
To be eligible for this award, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be "mid-major." The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Additionally, players from Oregon State and Washington State remain ineligible this year.

The 15-player midseason watch list will be announced in January, followed by 10 semifinalists announced in February. The five finalists will be announced in early March, with the winner announced around the Final Four. The list is fluid, and players may play their way on or off it over the course of the season.