By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Mesa University senior forward Olivia Reed Thyne and Metropolitan State University of Denver sophomore forward Keira Mitchell are the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Players of the Week, presented by Genesee Nutrition, and announced Monday.
Reed Thyne’s 58-point week helped Colorado Mesa sweep their two-game road trip and secure a spot in the 2026 RMAC Women’s Basketball Championship tournament with six games remaining in the regular season. Mitchell continues her late-season surge on the defensive side, helping MSU Denver storm up the RMAC standings, where they sit in sixth place with three weeks left.
Offensive
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa (Senior, Forward, Windsor, Colorado)
Reed Thyne rolled to back-to-back 29-point outings to help Colorado Mesa lock up a spot in the RMAC Women’s Basketball Championship tournament with road wins at MSU Denver and Regis last week. She shot 11-of-18 from the floor and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line for her 29 points in a 78-48 win against MSU Denver, which also saw her grab 16 rebounds, two assists, and steals. Reed Thyne was nearly lights out in the Mavericks’ 67-36 victory at Regis, shooting 72% (13-of-18) from the floor while grabbing nine rebounds and a steal.
Also Nominated: Taejhaun Hill, Adams State; Brinlee McRae, Black Hills State; Seneya Martinez, CSU Pueblo; Audrey Quintana, Chadron State; Makaya Porter, Fort Lewis; Nevaeh Millard, MSU Denver; Kate Gallery, Regis; Miranda Addison, South Dakota Mines; Amyah Moore Allen, UCCS; Ivey Schmidt, Western Colorado; Madison Anderson, Westminster.
Defensive
Keira Mitchell, MSU Denver (Sophomore, Forward, Colorado Springs, Colorado)
Mitchell wins the league’s defensive award for the second straight week after posting six total blocks in games against league-leader Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado. She notched two blocks and six rebounds (five defensive) in the Roadrunners’ loss to Colorado Mesa. Mitchell followed that with four blocks, four steals, and eight rebounds (six defensive) in a 62-55 win against Western Colorado.
Also Nominated: Taejhuan Hill, Adams State; Bradie Schlabs, Black Hills State; Dasani Nesbit, CSU Pueblo; Kenna Wagner, Chadron State; Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa; Jessica Bollwahn, Regis; Emma Martin, South Dakota Mines; Amyah Moore Allen, UCCS; Chloe Daniels, Western Colorado.
Previous Weekly Award Winners
| Week |
Offensive |
Defensive |
| Weeks 0-1: Nov. 17 |
Ayianna Johnson, UCCS |
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa |
| Week 2: Nov. 24 |
Katie Lamb, Fort Lewis |
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa |
| Week 3: Dec. 1 |
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa |
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa |
| Week 4: Dec. 8 |
Mason Rowland, Colorado Mesa |
Elaina Watson, Adams State |
| Week 5: Dec. 15 |
Ivey Schmidt, Western Colorado |
Elaina Watson, Adams State |
| Week 6: Dec. 22 |
Kapiolani Anitielu, New Mexico Highlands |
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa |
| Weeks 7-8: Jan. 5 |
Sofia Baldessari, Colorado School of Mines |
Jade Leon, Colorado School of Mines |
| Week 9: Jan. 12 |
Savea Mansfield, South Dakota Mines |
Jade Leon, Colorado School of Mines |
| Week 10: Jan. 19 |
Sofia Baldessari, Colorado School of Mines |
Amyah Moore Allen, UCCS |
| Week 11: Jan. 26 |
Amyah Moore Allen, UCCS |
Elaina Watson, Adams State |
| Week 12: Feb. 2 |
Mikylah Espinosa, MSU Denver |
Keira Mitchell, MSU Denver |
|
| Week 13: Feb. 9 |
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa |
Keira Mitchell, MSU Denver |
RMAC Approach: Women’s Basketball Week 14
Schedule Grid
| Tuesday, Feb. 10 |
|
UCCS at CSU Pueblo |
5:30 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Thursday, Feb. 12 |
|
Colorado School of Mines at Black Hills State |
5 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
MSU Denver at Chadron State |
5 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
Fort Lewis at #4 Colorado Mesa |
5:30 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
Regis at South Dakota Mines |
5:30 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
New Mexico Highlands at Westminster |
5:30 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
(RV) Adams State at Western Colorado |
5:30 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
CSU Pueblo at Colorado Christian |
6 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
| Saturday, Feb. 14 |
|
Colorado School of Mines at Chadron State |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
Fort Lewis at Western Colorado |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
MSU Denver at South Dakota Mines |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
Regis at Black Hills State |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
Colorado Christian at UCCS |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
New Mexico Highlands at #4 Colorado Mesa |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
|
(RV) Adams State at Westminster |
1 p.m. |
RMAC Network |
The Weekly Preview
Colorado Mesa University secured its spot in the 2026 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship tournament with a pair of wins last week, while Adams State University moved within a game of clinching its own spot last week.
Behind the lead pair, the standings only got a little murkier with third through 11th place separated by four games with six games remaining. Black Hills State University and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs lead that pack with a 10-4 record and can solidify their positions with key games against the trailing group this week. UCCS opens the week with a Tuesday contest against Colorado State University Pueblo, which is tied for seventh in the standings. Black Hills State hosts Colorado School of Mines, which is also in the three-team tie for seventh entering the week.
Mavericks Charging On
Colorado Mesa (24-1, 14-0 RMAC) extended its winning streak to 21 games, which is now the second-longest win streak in Division II behind only unbeaten Minnesota State (24-0, 24 straight wins). The Mavericks also own a nine-game home win streak, the 15th-longest in Division II, and a nine-game road win streak, tied for the fourth-longest in Division II.
Mavericks’ Reed Thyne Targeting RMAC’s Career Top Spots
Colorado Mesa senior forward Olivia Reed Thyne became the first women’s basketball athlete to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds during their RMAC career on January 24. In so doing, she broke the RMAC’s 20-year-old career scoring record and finished the night with 2,010 points. Reed Thyne is the 48th Division II women’s basketball player to reach both milestones during their collegiate career.
With the scoring record in hand, Reed Thyne continues her march to the league’s rebounding record. Following additional research, Adams State’s Dominique Skeehan’s freshman season was added to her career statistics in the RMAC records, moving her to the No. 1 spot in rebounding at 1,256 rebounds. The update means Reed Thyne is chasing a 40-year-old record, needing 20 rebounds to break it.
Looking at the NCAA record book, the Top 25 in scoring begins with Southwestern Oklahoma’s Hailey Tucker at 2,360 points. The rebounding Top 25 begins at 1,246 points with Mandy Koupal, who played at South Dakota and South Dakota State when those institutions were Division II members.
RMAC Career Scoring Leaders
| Rank |
Points |
Player |
| 1. |
2,106 |
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa, 2022-current |
| 2. |
2,002 |
Becky Gonzales, New Mexico Highlands, 1998-02 |
| 3. |
1,996 |
Diana Lopez, Regis, 2003-07 |
| 4. |
1,951 |
Abby Kirchoff, UC-Colorado Springs, 2011-15 |
| 5. |
1,920 |
Tonya Stites, Colorado Mesa, 1991-94 |
| 6. |
1,869 |
Tricia Lukawski, Chadron State, 1989-93 |
| 7. |
1,859 |
Vera Jo Bustos, Adams State, 2007-11 |
| 8. |
1,850 |
Tae’lor Purdy, Regis, 2009-14 |
| 9. |
1,801 |
Alisha Little, CSU Pueblo, 2021-25 |
| 10. |
1,795 |
Sharaya Selsor, CMU/MSU, 2008-09, 10-11, 12-14 |
RMAC Career Rebounding Leaders
| Rank |
Points |
Player |
| 1. |
1,256 |
Dominique Skeehan, Adams State, 1982-85 |
| 2. |
1,237 |
Olivia Reed Thyne, Colorado Mesa, 2022-current |
| 3. |
1,154 |
Nicole Allman, N.M. Highlands, 1994-98 |
| 4. |
1,032 |
Tonya Stites, Colorado Mesa, 1991-94 |
| 5. |
1,020 |
Abby Rosenthal, Colorado Christian, 2006-10 |
| 6. |
1,012 |
Pam DeCosta, Colorado Mesa, 1983-86 |
| 7. |
960 |
Nadia Furcha, CSU-Pueblo, 2000-04 |
| 8. |
950 |
Denise Lopez, Regis, 2003-07 |
| 9. |
946 |
Kristin Valencia, MSU Denver, 2009-13 |
| 10. |
945 |
Amy Mohr, Fort Lewis, 2001-05 |
Western Colorado’s Maves & Schmidt Among D2’s Top Three-Point Threats
Western Colorado junior guard Jayda Maves and senior guard Ivey Schmidt are currently ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, among Division II’s most accurate three-point shooters. Maves is making 47.2% (60-of-127) of her three-pointers this season, while Schmidt pops into the rankings for the first time at No. 3, making 46.6% (41-of-88) from the arc.
Tight Race for RMAC Scoring Crown
Down to the regular season’s final three weeks, the race for the 2025 scoring crown is a tight one with four players in the hunt, with less just more than one point per game separating them. Reed Thyne’s 58-point week pushed her to 20.4 points per game this season and into Division II’s Top 10 scorers at No. 9. Colorado School of Mines’ Sofia Baldessari kept pace with Reed Thyne, moving into the No. 11 spot nationally at 20.1 points per game. Behind that duo are UCCS’ Amyah Moore Allen (19th, 19.41 ppg) and Western Colorado’s Ivey Schmidt (20th, 19.40 ppg)..
Colorado Mesa, Behind Returning Player of the Year Reed Thyne, Picked as Favorites to Win RMAC Women’s Basketball Crown
Colorado Mesa, the reigning Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular-season champion, is the 2025-26 preseason favorite as selected by the league’s head coaches in the RMAC Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll.
In conjunction with the preseason poll, the 10-person 2025-26 Preseason All-RMAC Team was also announced, led by returning RMAC Player of the Year Olivia Reed Thyne. She was joined by student-athletes representing eight other league teams, including New Mexico Highlands’ Kapiolani Anitielu, the reigning Freshman of the Year.
Colorado Mesa received nine first-place votes and scored 191 points, topping second-place University of Colorado Colorado Springs, which picked up the remaining six first-place votes and totaled 181 points.
RMAC Network Now PPV
All RMAC women's basketball games broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members will only be available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. A discounted annual subscription price is available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league’s membership to enhance their programs. Visit RMACNetwork.com/Purchase for more information and to subscribe.
About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 69 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.
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