KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced a new Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week award winner in the 2025-26 season. Emporia State’s Kaitlyn Sanders claimed week two’s MIAA Athlete of the Week honor.
MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Kaitlyn Sanders, Emporia State
Kaitlyn Sanders averaged 23.0 points on 60.9 percent shooting while leading the Hornets to a pair of wins over former MIAA members Southwest Baptist and Missouri S&T. The graduate student scored 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting with five assists, four rebounds and three steals in Emporia’s 84-61 win at Southwest Baptist. She then went for a career high 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting with four rebounds and two steals in the Hornets’ 78-72 home opening win over Missouri S&T. Sanders’s 23.0 points per game led all MIAA scorers in week two while also recording 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Brooke Loewe, Fort Hays State
Brooke Loewe averaged 11.5 assists, 9.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game in a pair of Tiger victories over the weekend in Wichita. The senior broke the school record with 14 assists in a 36-point win over William Jewell – the most in a single game so far this season in NCAA Division II and tied for the fourth-most in a game this year across all NCAA Divisions. She recorded those 14 assists in just 23 minutes of action. Before her record-breaking performance, Loewe opened the week with a near triple-double, racking up 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in the Tigers’ 74-66 win over Eastern New Mexico.
Taylor Weishaar, Central Missouri
Taylor Weishaar averaged 14.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game in Central Missouri's two games in Florida last week. The sophomore netted 15 points and was named the game's Most Outstanding Player in the Jennies' 85-62 victory over West Florida in the WBCA Showcase last Friday. She shot 45.5 percent from the field, was 2-of-2 from three-point range and 3-of-3 at the free-throw line, while also adding seven rebounds and three blocks in the contest. Weishaar also had 14 points and nine rebounds in Central Missouri's 68-66 overtime loss to MSU Moorhead last Tuesday.
Deyanna Douglas, Northeastern State
Deyanna Douglas scored in double-figures in Northeastern State’s 3-0 week as the RiverHawks are off to the program’s best start in 15 years. The sophomore averaged 19.5 points per game on 59.0 percent shooting from the floor (13-of-22) and 81.0 percent from the foul line (13-of-16). She ended the week with a career best 24 points in the RiverHawks’ 76-61 win over Southwest Baptist.
Gabi Giovannetti, Washburn
Gabi Giovannetti helped lead the Ichabod offense to a pair of 20-plus-point wins in Washburn's home-opening weekend. The senior guard averaged 15.0 points per game on 57.9 percent shooting along with 8.5 rebounds per game. She was everywhere on defense, coming away with 3.5 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. She led the Ichabods with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting while making four steals and grabbing 10 rebounds for her first career double-double in a 66-44 win over MSU Denver.
Jaeden McMillin, Newman
Jaeden McMillin helped lead the Jets to a 2-1 week with wins over Oklahoma Christian and William Jewell. In the two wins, McMillin averaged 23.5 points and led the league with 51 total points on the week. The junior shot 54.5 percent from the field in the two wins for the Jets.
ALSO NOMINATED:
Ja’Miya Brown [Pittsburg State], Bailey Birmingham [Northwest Missouri], Ashlyn Alloway [Missouri Southern], Nakiya Harris [Missouri Western], Samantha Shanks [Rogers State], Kaitlyn McCarn [Central Oklahoma]
WEEK ONE: Talexa Weeter, Fort Hays State
WEEK TWO: Kaitlyn Sanders, Emporia State