As Drake women’s basketball player Katie Dinnebier won the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week award over and over this season, it seemed like only a matter of time before she would earn the biggest prize, being named the league’s top player.
What’s been expected for a while finally became official Wednesday when Dinnebier, a senior guard for the Bulldogs, was named the winner of the Jackie Stiles Player of the Year trophy.
It’s the second-straight season that Dinnebier, one of the most accomplished players in Bulldogs’ women’s basketball history, has won it. She becomes just the third player in school history to win it multiple times.
Wanda Ford won it back-to-back years from 1985-1986. Becca Hittner, now an assistant coach/director of basketball analytics and player development for the Bulldogs, won it three-straight times from 2018-2020.
Dinnebier, like Ford and Hittner were back then, was an easy choice. The 5-foot-8 point guard led the league in scoring (22.7 points per game, assists (7.5) and minutes played (34.9). Dinnebier also ranked second in steals (2.5).
More: Drake women’s basketball: Where Katie Dinnebier ranks among the greatest Bulldog players
The success drew her plenty of attention during the season as well with Dinnebier winning eight MVC player of the week honors. She was also named a finalist for the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award.
Dinnebier is currently playing some of her best basketball. She’s scored 30 or more points in each of Drake’s last five games. Dinnebier recently poured in 42 points during Drake’s game at Belmont.
She was also named to the league’s first team, along with Northern Iowa’s Maya McDermott.
More: Heart over height: Maya McDermott’s journey from Johnston to UNI women’s basketball star
Drake’s Anna Miller was a second-team pick.
Northern Iowa’s Kayba Laube was a third-team selection.
Elise Jaeger of Northern Iowa was named to the All-Freshman team.
Dinnebier and Miller were picked to the All-Defensive team along with Northern Iowa’s Ryley Goebel.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Drake women’s basketball’s Katie Dinnebier wins MVC Player of the Year
