By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Mesa University junior forward Olivia Reed Thyne repeats at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, the league announced Thursday along with the league’s other major award winners and All-RMAC rosters.

Colorado State University Pueblo senior forward Alisha Little repeats as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. New Mexico Highlands guard Anitielu Kapiolani is the RMAC Freshman of the Year. Colorado Mesa head coach Taylor Wagner won the league’s Coach of the Year honor.

The All-RMAC teams and awards are selected and voted on by the league’s 15 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their players.

Reed Thyne claimed her second Player of the Year honor and a third consecutive First Team All-RMAC award after finishing second in the conference in scoring (22.3 points per game) and rebounding (11.0 per game) during the regular season. She led the league in field-goal percentage (242-of-419, .578), was fourth in free-throw percentage (113-of-138, .819), fifth in blocked shots (1.07 blocks per game), and second in defensive rebounding (8.04 per game). Reed Thyne recorded 17 double-doubles in 2024-25. She made an early statement with a 45-point outing against Pittsburg State in December, one of four 40-plus point outings in the RMAC this season. Reed Thyne had seven 30-point games this season, five of those in RMAC play.

Little earned her second consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award and her third First-Team All-RMAC honor after leading the league in steals (2.96 per game), blocked shots (3.68 per game), and defensive rebounds (8.54 per game). Among Division II athletes, she ranked first in defensive rebounds per game, second in blocks per game, 20th in steals per game, Little also led the RMAC in scoring (25.5 points per game), rebounding (11.7 per game), and double-doubles (22) – ranking second, sixth, and first among Division II athletes in those categories respectively. She also was one of 13 players to record a triple-double in Division II this season, posting a 28-point, 14-rebound, 11-block performance at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in January.

Anitielu is the league’s Freshman of the Year after helping New Mexico Highlands reach the women’s basketball championship for the first time since 2004. She finished her first collegiate season ranked eighth among RMAC scorers with 16.3 points per game. Anitielu also ranked fourth in the league in blocked shots (1.09 per game), fifth in steals (2.04 per game), and 11th in field goal percentage (.405). She had two double-doubles in 2024-25, including a 23-point, 12-rebound effort against Adams State in December, and breached the 20-point plateau six times.

Wagner claims his second-straight and seventh overall RMAC Coach of the Year award after leading Colorado Mesa University to its seventh RMAC regular-season title in his 13 seasons at the helm. This season, the Mavericks posted an 18-2 RMAC record and a 23-4 overall mark. Colorado Mesa entered the RMAC Women’s Basketball Championship having won its last 16 games and not losing during the 2025 calendar year.

Twenty student-athletes representing nine institutions are recognized on the 2024-25 Women’s Basketball All-RMAC rosters. Black Hills State saw four student-athletes named Second Team All-RMAC to lead all institutions in total recognitions. Adams State, Colorado Mesa, Colorado School of Mines, CSU Pueblo, New Mexico Highlands, UCCS, and Western Colorado were represented by student-athletes on the two All-RMAC Teams.

2024-25 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Award Winners

Player of the Year: Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa
Defensive Player of the Year: Alisha Little, CSU Pueblo
Freshman of the Year: Kapiolani Anitielu, New Mexico Highlands
Coach of the Year: Taylor Wagner, Colorado Mesa
 

2024-25 First Team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Women’s Basketball
Player	School	Pos.	Ht.	Yr.	Hometown
Kiiyani Anitielu (2)	Adams State	G	5-7	Jr.	Farmington, N.M.
Rachel Cockman (2)	Western Colorado	C	6-2	Sr.	Englewood, Colo.
Erin Fry (1, 3x)	Regis	G	5-10	Gr.	McKinney, Texas
Kylie Kravig (2)	Colorado Mesa	G	5-8	Sr.	Greeley, Colo.
Alisha Little (1, 3x)	CSU Pueblo	F	6-1	RSr.	Aurora, Colo.
Amyah Moore Allen	UCCS	G	5-8	RJr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
Olivia Reed Thyne (1, 3x)	Colorado Mesa	F	6-0	Jr.	Windsor, Colo.
Athena Saragoza (2)	Regis	G	5-8	Sr.	Santa Barbara, Calif.
Ivey Schmidt (H)	Western Colorado	G	5-10	Jr.	Ginnell, Iowa
Jenna Siebert (H)	Colorado School of Mines	G	5-9	RJr.	Parker, Colo.
2024-25 Second Team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Women’s Basketball
Kapiolani Anitielu	New Mexico Highlands	G	5-11	Fr.	Farmington, N.M.
Juliana Aragon (H)	New Mexico Highlands	G	5-5	Jr.	Bernalillo, N.M.
Kalla Bertram (2)	Black Hills State	G	5-9	Sr.	Colome, S.D.
Morgan Hammerbeck (H)	Black Hills state	F	5-11	Gr.	Hamill, S.D.
Riley Hayes	Colorado Mesa	G	5-8	Sr.	Cave Springs, Ark.
Taejhuan Hill	Adams State	F	6-0	Fr.	Albuquerque, N.M.
Tomia Johnson (H)	CSU Pueblo	G	5-6	Sr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
Bradie Schlabs	Black Hills State	G	5-6	Fr.	Cheyenne, Wyo.
Haylee Weathersby	Black Hills State	F	6-1	Sr.	Glendale, Ariz.
Maison White (1, 3a)	UCCS	F	6-0	Sr.	Grantsville, Utah
Symbols in parentheses:  1 – was a First Team All-RMAC selection in 2023-24; 2– was a Second Team All-RMAC selection in 2023-24; H – was an Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection in 2023-24, 3x – Three-Time First Team All-RMAC Selection; 3a – Three-Time All-RMAC Selection (first or second team).

2024-25 Honorable Mention All-RMAC: Women’s Basketball

ADAMS STATE: Angelline Nageak
CHADRON STATE: Megan Counts and Ashayla Powers
COLORADO CHRISTIAN: Nicole Bowlin, Dasiya Jones, and Victoria Perez
CSU PUEBLO: Tosjanae Bonds
FORT LEWIS: Deniece Ryan
MSU DENVER: Millard Navaeh
SOUTH DAKOTA MINES: Piper Bauer, Savea Mansfield, and Morning Grace Spotted Bear.
WESTERN COLORADO: Jayda Maves
WESTMINSTER: Teuila Nawahine