ATLANTA, Ga. – The 2023-24 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls were announced today by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. The Ottawa University women’s basketball team was named to the NAIA Top 25 List.
The Braves come in at no. 24 on the top 25 list. Ottawa finished the 2023-24 season with an overall team GPA of 3.388. “What an amazing honor for our team getting recognized as one of the top 25 academic teams in the country for the NAIA,” said OU head women’s basketball coach Hunter Bondurant. “We set this as a goal in our first team meeting of the year and I can’t explain how incredibly proud our entire staff is of them for achieving this goal. We have an amazing group that is taking strides both on and off the court, excited to see them continue to move up this poll in years to come.”
The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and two-year college women’s basketball teams across the nation that carry the highest combined GPAs inclusive of all student-athletes on their rosters for the entire season. The 2023-24 season is the 29th in which the WBCA has compiled the honor rolls.
Youngstown State, coached by John Nicolais, finished first among NCAA Division I members with a 3.868 cumulative team grade-point average. Ashland, coached by Kari Pickens, claimed top academic honors in NCAA Division II with a 3.875 GPA. Williams, coached by Patricia Manning, took top honors in NCAA Division III with a 3.856 GPA. Sterling, coached by K.C. Bassett, was No. 1 in the NAIA division with a 3.831 GPA. Folsom Lake, coached by Ali Mollet, finished atop the two-year college standings with a 3.564 GPA.
“The WBCA is pleased to recognize those women’s basketball programs that have committed themselves to excellence on the court and in the classroom,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. “The 112 teams we honor this year strive to achieve all-around success and we commend their efforts. Congratulations!”
Here are the 2023-24 WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Rolls for the NAIA. The head coach listed for each institution was its head coach during the 2023-24 season. Teams having a 3.0 combined GPA and qualifying for consideration for the top 25 in their respective divisions are also listed as special mentions.
| Rank | Institution | Head Coach | GPA |
| 1 | Sterling | K.C. Bassett | 3.831 |
| 2 | Tabor | Shawn Reed | 3.826 |
| 3 | Pikeville | Clifton Williams | 3.824 |
| 4 | Keiser | Pam Oswald | 3.809 |
| T5 | John Brown | Jeff Soderquist | 3.762 |
| T5 | Cumberlands | Rick Reeves | 3.762 |
| 7 | Grand View | Jasmine Stohr | 3.756 |
| 8 | Carroll | Rachelle Sayers | 3.702 |
| 9 | Southern Oregon | Carlotta Kloppenburg-Pruitt | 3.691 |
| 10 | Faulkner | Reed Sutton | 3.677 |
| 11 | Culver-Stockton | Janette Burgin | 3.665 |
| 12 | Cornerstone | Jessica Yonkers | 3.655 |
| 13 | Jamestown | Thad Sankey | 3.596 |
| 14 | Kansas Wesleyan | Ryan Showman | 3.592 |
| 15 | Mid-America Christian | Hannah Moeller | 3.591 |
| 16 | Holy Cross (IN) | Tom Robbins | 3.578 |
| 17 | Indiana Tech | Jessica Biggs | 3.521 |
| 18 | Providence (MT) | Bill Himmelberg | 3.515 |
| 19 | Embry-Riddle (AZ) | Michael Trujillo | 3.496 |
| 20 | Grace | Dan Davis | 3.479 |
| 21 | Rio Grande (OH) | David Smalley | 3.448 |
| 22 | Lourdes | Tandy Bradford | 3.439 |
| 23 | Loyola (New Orleans) | Kellie Kennedy | 3.433 |
| 24 | Ottawa | Hunter Bondurant | 3.388 |
| 25 | Columbia (MO) | James Arnold | 3.387 |
Special Mention: Southwest (NM), Michael Dominguez, 3.362; Siena Heights, Sue Syljebeck, 3.230.