(Maryville, MO) — Northwest Missouri State University sophomore forward Sadie Maas has been named the Mid America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Defensive Player of the Year.
Maas (Waukee, Iowa) ranks No. 2 in the MIAA in blocked shots (72) and No. 4 in the league in total rebounds (240). Maas produced five double-doubles and a triple-double this year. She had a 17-point, 18-rebound, 11-block effort at Missouri Southern to highlight her season. She is only the second Bearcat to take home the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year award. Kyla Roehrig was named the league’s top defensive player in the 2010-11 season.
Northwest’s All-Time MIAA Defensive Player of the Year Selections
2011 – Kyla Roehrig
2026 – Sadie Maas
Maas was tabbed as a member of the MIAA’s All-Defensive Team. She was also named an honorable mention all-MIAA selection. Maas collected nine games of 10 or more rebounds. She blocked at least one shot in 28 of 29 games played.
Northwest’s All-Time MIAA All-Defensive Team Selections
2011 – Kyla Roehrig
2023 – Jayna Green
2024 – Jayna Green
2026 – Sadie Maas
Freshman guard Bailey Birmingham (Norwalk, Iowa) also gained honorable mention all-MIAA status. Birmingham led the Bearcats in scoring at 12.1 points per game. She knocked down a team-best 67 three-pointers, which ranks second in the MIAA. Birmingham tops the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage (37.2%). She scored in double figures in 18 games, including a season-high 25 points against Arkansas-Fort Smith (Feb. 21).
The Bearcat women’s basketball team (18-11 overall) earned the No. 5 seed for the 2026 MIAA Tournament. Northwest will take on No. 4 seed Missouri Southern Friday at Noon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
2025-26 MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS & ALL-MIAA TEAMS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Talexa Weeter, Fort Hays State
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sadie Maas, Northwest Missouri State
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Mia Morel, Missouri Western
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Myleigh Weers, Nebraska Kearney
COACH OF THE YEAR: Dave Slifer, Central Missouri
MIAA ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Jerney Bennett – Central Oklahoma, So.
Sadie Maas – Northwest Missouri State, So.
Yiibari Nwidadah – Washburn, Sr.
Ana Oliveria Dias – Missouri Western, Jr.
Taylor Weishaar – Central Missouri, So.
ALL-MIAA FIRST TEAM
Brooke Loewe – Fort Hays State, Sr.
Yiibari Nwidadah – Washburn, Sr.
Reese Schaaf – Central Missouri, Sr.
Talexa Weeter – Fort Hays State, Jr.
Taylor Weishaar – Central Missouri, So.
ALL-MIAA SECOND TEAM
Ashlyn Alloway – Missouri Southern, Jr.
Jillian Aschoff – Nebraska Kearney, R-Sr.
Grace Frazier – Missouri Southern, So.
Mia Morel – Missouri Western, Sr.
Payton Sterk – Washburn, Sr.
ALL-MIAA THIRD TEAM
Gracie Gilpin – Emporia State, Sr.
Olivia Mortensen – Fort Hays State, Fr.
Kaitlyn Sanders – Emporia State, Gr.
Harper Schreiner – Pittsburg State, Sr.
McKenzie Smith – Northeastern State, So.
Myleigh Weers – Nebraska Kearney, Fr.
(team reflects ties in voting)
ALL-MIAA HONORABLE MENTION
Arkansas-Fort Smith – Telisha Brown, Sr.
Missouri Southern – Nariah Clay, So.
Missouri Western – Ana Oliveria Dias, Jr.; Nakiya Harris, Jr.
Newman – Jaeden McMillin, Jr.
Northwest Missouri State – Bailey Birmingham, Fr.; Sadie Maas, So.
Pittsburg State – Ja’Miya Brown, Jr.; Marin Adams, Fr.
Rogers State – Samantha Shanks, Sr.
Washburn – Gabi Giovannetti, Sr.
