2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year presented by Her Hoop Stats Semifinalists
10 players representing seven conferences named semifinalists
Hopewell, N.J. (February 12, 2025) — We are proud to announce the 10 semifinalists for the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats. The Becky Hammon Award was first given out in 2020, with South Dakota’s Ciara Duffy being named the inaugural winner. Gonzaga’s Yvonne Ejim won the most recent award in 2024.
This year’s semifinalists include representatives from 10 teams and seven conferences. Two conferences – the A-10 and Missouri Valley – have multiple representatives on the list. The A-10 becomes the first conference to have three semifinalists in the same season. Yvonne Ejim becomes the first player to be named a semifinalist three times. All stats only include games against Division I opponents unless otherwise noted.
Ally Becki, Ball St., Sr., G
2024-25 Stats: 15.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.1 APG, 2.5 SPG
Becki’s rare combination of scoring, facilitating and rebounding makes her a standout for a Ball State team that is cruising in MAC play. The senior guard is one of only two players – with Olivia Miles – in the country averaging at least 15 points, six assists and five rebounds per game (min. 10 games).
Katie Dinnebier, Drake, Sr., G
2024-25 Stats: 19.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.6 APG, 2.7 SPG
Dinnebier is currently leading Division I in assists per game at 7.6. No MVC player has ever been the national leader in assist average, and no player outside of a power conference has led the nation since Amy O’Neill of St. Francis Brooklyn in 2018-19.
Megan McConnell, Duquesne, Sr., G
2024-25 Stats: 18.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, 4.0 SPG
McConnell continues to dominate the box score, leading the nation in steals (including games against non-Division I programs) while ranking in the top 50 nationally in scoring and assist average. She is on pace to become just the second player in the HHS Era (since 2009-10) to average at least 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals per game, along with Shakyla Hill in 2018-19.
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga, 5th, F
2024-25 Stats: 21.4 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.0 BPG
Ejim has heated up over the past month, averaging 24.9 points and 11.6 rebounds over her last seven games, including a dominant outing of 35 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in a one-point win over WCC rival Portland to reclaim sole possession of the conference lead.
Harmoni Turner, Harvard, Sr., G
2024-25 Stats: 21.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 3.1 SPG
Turner carries a heavy share of Harvard’s offense, but her growth defensively is a major reason for the Crimson’s breakout this season. She has generated 3.1 steals per game this season, up from 2.2 last season, as Harvard’s HHS Defensive Rating has jumped from 117th up to 31st.
Katelyn Young, Murray St., Gr., F
2024-25 Stats: 20.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.8 APG
Young posted six straight performances of at least 25 points between January and early February, including 26 points on just 12 shots from the field in a blowout road win over Drake, adding five rebounds and a season-high seven assists.
Diamond Johnson, Norfolk St., Gr., G
2024-25 Stats: 18.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.0 APG, 3.4 SPG
Johnson’s 3-point shooting has exploded in MEAC play, converting on 47.8% of her attempts from deep on 6.6 attempts per game. Johnson is on pace to become the first player since 2009-10 to shoot at least 45% from deep and 55% from inside the arc against conference opponents (min. six attempts per game from both).
Maggie Doogan, Richmond, Jr., F
16.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 BPG
Doogan has improved her shooting from inside the arc this season, jumping from an already strong 56.5% last season up to 65.5% this season, good for 24th in the nation. That improvement of 10 percentage points is the second-best improvement year-over-year among players to attempt at least seven 2-pointers per game on at least 50% shooting.
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's, Jr., F
2024-25 Stats: 18.7 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 BPG
Along with being the nation’s most prolific defensive rebounder, Ziegler’s combination of shot-blocking and three-level scoring makes her very unique. The junior forward is on pace to become the first player in the HHS Era to average at least 18 points, 10 defensive boards and four assists per game (min. 20 games played).
Grace Larkins, South Dakota, Sr., G
2024-25 Stats: 25.4 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 5.3 APG
Larkins is putting up unprecedented numbers, as she is on pace to become the first player in the HHS Era to average at least 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game (min. 10 games played). Larkins has scored or assisted on 63.5% of South Dakota’s made baskets, which would trail only Jasmine Nwajei’s 63.7% for Wagner in 2015-16 in the HHS Era.
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 are ineligible this year as membership in the Pac-12 evolves.
The 25-player preseason watch list was announced in October, and 15 midseason watch list members were announced in January. 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.
About Becky Hammon
Hammon was a three-time All-American at Colorado State and led the Rams to the Sweet 16 in 1999, the program’s only appearance to date. She was signed by the New York Liberty in 1999 and traded to the San Antonio Stars in 2007, where she played the rest of her career. Hammon retired in 2014 as a six-time All-Star and a two-time All-WNBA First Team honoree. In 2016 she was named one of the top 20 players in WNBA history and was recently named to the W25.
Hammon became the second female coach in NBA history when she began coaching for the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. Additionally, Hammon is the only woman to be a head coach in the NBA Summer League and the only woman to be a member of an NBA All-Star coaching staff. Currently, Hammon is the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces and won the 2022 and 2023 WNBA Championships.
About Her Hoop Stats
Her Hoop Stats was founded in 2017 to unlock better insight about women's basketball at all levels. We began as a statistics site focused on providing consistent, reliable, and easy-to-access data about women's basketball for both mobile and desktop environments. Her Hoop Stats has expanded to become a leading independent voice in the women's game providing content through our newsletter, podcast network, YouTube channel, and social media accounts (Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram).