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

Koenen is one of only five finalists and the first-ever Bison named to the list. She joins Brooklyn Meyer from South Dakota State as the only players from the Summit League to earn the recognition.

Koenen ranks in the top 15 nationally in free throw attempts (2nd, 242), field goal percentage (4th, 64.6), free throws (5th, 175), double-doubles (6th, 20), rebounds (10th, 348), defensive rebounds per game (10th, 8.5) and rebounds per game (12th, 10.9).

Koenen is slotted tied for third on the Bison all-time single-season list with 624 points, which is the most in the NDSU Division I era. The Montevideo, Minn., native also ranks second on the single-season list in rebounds with 348, which is the most in the Division I era.

The full release can be viewed here.

Finalists in alphabetical order by school:
Adrianna Smith, Maine, R-Sr., F
Avery Koenen, North Dakota St., Jr., F
Maggie Doogan, Richmond, Sr., F
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota St., Sr., F
Mia Nicastro, Western Ill., Sr., F

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 25-player preseason watch list was announced in October, and 10 semifinalists were announced in February. The winner will be announced on April 1. The list is fluid, and players may play their way on or off it over the course of the season.