Huge Honors for Coach Chris Nelson and Hart Sisters

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2024-25 NAIA Women's Basketball All-America Teams along with the 2025 NAIA Player of the Year and the 2025 NAIA Coach of the Year. 

Macy Sievers of Dordt (Iowa) was named the 2025 NAIA Women's Basketball Player of the Year. Sievers not only led the Defenders to become repeat NAIA Champions in 2025 but also the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Tournament and Regular Season Champions. The junior was named the GPAC Player of the Year and was selected first-team All-Conference. Sievers was also named to the NAIA All-Tournament First Team as well as the NAIA Tournament MVP. Her season stat line increased by the numbers as she posted 15.6 points per game, 44.5 field goal percentage, 39.3 three-point percentage, 84.1 free throw percentage, and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Chris Nelson of Bethel (Tenn.) was named the 2025 NAIA Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. Nelson turned things around for Bethel in just one year after going 13-16 overall and 0-12 in the Mid-South in 2023-24 to 2024-25, where the Wildcats finished the season with an overall record of 27-8 and 5-7 in conference. Nelson directed his team to its first Mid-South Conference title this season and continued the season where the Wildcats went on to secure the team's first semifinal appearance at the NAIA Championship.

Coach Nelson's 402 career victories rank him 13th in wins among active women's basketball coaches in the NAIA. He has led Bethel to 12 seasons with 20-plus wins.

During Nelson's tenure as head coach, Bethel has qualified for 15 NAIA national tournaments (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025).

The Lady Wildcats are 173-41 in home games at Crisp Arena since the venue opened in 2012.

This was the 15^th year Bethel has appeared in the national tournament and first since 2022.

 Bethel has reached the Sweet 16 four times.

Bethel reached the Elite Eight in 2014, 2015 and 2025.

Bethel's Madison Hart was named First Team All-American while Micah Hart was named to the second team.

Madison, a junior, averaged almost seventeen points a game and led the team in rebounding with seven per outing joined the Bethel 1, 000 Point Club during the regular season. She became the 19^th player in program history to score 1,000 points or more in a career. Later in the season, she became the 18^th player in program history to collect 500 rebounds or more in a Wildcat uniform.

Micah, a freshman, led Bethel in scoring with 18 points per game. She led the team in steals. Micah was named the MSC Freshman of the Year.

Both players were named 1^st team All-MSC performers.

All of the All-America selections are made by the NAIA Women's Basketball All-America Committee and are comprised of first, second and third teams.

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 2025 NAIA Women's Basketball All-America Teams

(Alphabetical order by institution)

FIRST TEAM

 SECOND TEAM

THIRD TEAM