KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced a new Women’s Basketball Athlete of the Week award winner for week three of the 2025-26 season. Fort Hays State’s Talexa Weeter was named the MIAA Athlete of the Week for the second time this season.
MIAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Talexa Weeter, Fort Hays State
Talexa Weeter had another big week for the Tigers, averaging 33.5 points and 10.0 rebounds in a pair of wins over former RMAC rivals. The Goodland, Kan. native recorded 33 points and 11 rebounds in Fort Hays State’s 66-65 win over UC-Colorado Springs before totaling 34 points and nine rebounds in a come-from-behind, 88-73 win over MSU Denver. Weeter knocked down a pair of clutch free throws with seven seconds remaining to help the Tigers get past the Mountain Lions and totaled 28 second-half points on 12-of-17 shooting to help FHSU rally against the Roadrunners. The junior currently leads all of Division II and ranks second across all three NCAA divisions with an average of 29.0 points per game. She also ranks second in the MIAA in both rebounds per game (8.8 rebounds per game) and shooting percentage (51.2 percent). This is Weeter's second MIAA Athlete of the Week honor after earning the title in week one of the 2025-26 season.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:
Taylor Weishaar, Central Missouri
Taylor Weishaar averaged 20 points, 11.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in Central Missouri’s two victories last week. The sophomore netted her first double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds in the Jennies' 87-33 win at Saint Leo last Monday (Nov. 24). She then added 22 points, nine rebounds and had five assists in the Jennies’ 83-69 win over Evangel on Saturday (Nov. 29). Weishaar Shot 58 percent from the field in both games, and hit 7-of-7 from at the free-throw line in the win over Evangel.
Macey Gandee, Emporia State
Macey Gandee averaged 15.0 points on 63.6 percent shooting with 7.0 rebounds per game as the Hornets ran their win streak to four games. The senior tied her career high with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting in Emporia State's 75-62 win over Quincy before setting a new career high with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting in 21 minutes of a 91-55 win over Saint Mary. Gandee also tied her career high with three steals against Quincy and had a career high of four assists against Saint Mary.
Nariah Clay, Missouri Southern
Nariah Clay led the Lions in three games over the Thanksgiving Week, averaging 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Clay shot 52 percent from the field and .444 from beyond the arc. She opened the week with 15 points and seven rebounds in the Lions’ four-point loss at Drury before adding 18 points in the 92-82 win versus Truman State. Against Truman State, Clay shot 60 percent, including 4-for-7 from the three-point range. Clay then registered a career-best 25 points to go with seven boards and three assists in the 85-75 win against Southern Nazarene. Clay shot 58 percent from the field and 60 percent from distance in the victory.
Payton Sterk, Washburn
Payton Sterk led the Ichabod offense over the weekend, delivering 39 points (19.5 points per game) across the two games while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor with nine three-pointers on 9-of-20 shooting from behind the arc. Sterk also came away with five steals on the weekend, with multiple in each game. In the Ichabods’ 62-48 win over the Javelinas, Sterk scored 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting overall and 6-of-9 from deep with a pair of steals.
ALSO NOMINATED:
Jillian Aschoff [Nebraska Kearney], Haleigh Jackson [Arkansas-Fort Smith], Samantha Shanks [Rogers State], Bailey Birmingham [Northwest Missouri], McKenzie Smith [Northeastern State], Kaitlyn McCarn [Central Oklahoma], Kaycee McCumber [Pittsburg State]
WEEK ONE: Talexa Weeter, Fort Hays State
WEEK TWO: Kaitlyn Sanders, Emporia State
WEEK THREE: Talexa Weeter, Fort Hays State