As the 2025-26 Ohio Valley Conference women’s basketball season progressed, it became clear Western Illinois senior Mia Nicastro and the league’s Player of the Year would end up being one in the same.
It became official Tuesday as the league announced Nicastro as its 2025-26 OVC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in voting done by league’s head coaches and communications directors.
Nicastro is the first Leatherneck to win OVC Player of the Year. WIU joined the OVC starting with the 202324 season.
“It’s a special feeling,” said Nicastro. “It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication. But I think it just feels more special that our team is getting the recognition we deserve. A lot of individual players are getting the recognition that they deserve.”
“I’m just really proud to be a part of this team,” she added. “We have so many talented players on this team. By no means is it just one person that can be attributed to the success that we’ve had this year.”
In addition to Nicastro, senior Addi Brownfield was selected as OVC Co-Defensive Player of the Year; graduate Mallory Shetley was named to the All-Newcomer Team and JD Gravina was selected as OVC Coach of the Year.
“Mia is way too humble,” said Brownfield. “She’s one of the best players I’ve ever got to witness live. I love being her teammate. She’s such a skilled player. So clutch. She can hit any shot you need down the stretch.”
“I’m super-proud of her, super-proud of how she’s gone through her journey in college basketball,” she added. “Finding where she fits in and is truly buying into what the Leathernecks do and what we are.”
Nicastro recorded 14 double-doubles, as she averaged 24.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for WIU. The Leathernecks claimed a share of the regular season title with Lindenwood, finishing 16-4 in OVC play.
“She put in a ton of work this summer and she has just kept it up,” said Gravina. “She probably doesn’t consider herself a practice player. She thinks she’s more like a gamer, which she is.
But you’ve also got to be able to do it consistently in practice.”
The 6-foot, 2-inch forward ranks in the top 50 nationally in 10 categories.
That includes fourth in points (712), fourth in points per game (24.6), fifth in field goals made (265), ninth in free throws (156), 14th in defensive rebounds per game (8.0), 17th in double-doubles, 17th in free throw percentage (89.1 percent), 29th in rebounds (283), 35th rebounds per game, and 46th field goal percentage (52.6 percent).
“She had a good year last year,” said Gravina of Nicastro, who was an OVC First Team selection last season. “But you could just see her all year, building her confidence. Building, building, building.”
“Then it cycles. You’re playing better and scoring more,” he added. “So you build more confidence, and then you score more.”
Joining Nicastro and Brownfield on the OVC First Team were Lindenwood junior guard Ellie Brueggemann; UT-Martin redshirt sophomore guard Kenley McCarn; Lindenwood junior guard/forward Brooke Coffey; Little Rock senior guard Jordan Holman; Southern Indiana senior guard Ali Saunders and graduate forward/center Kate Dike of Morehead State.
The Leathernecks enter tournament play as the top seed. They will face either No. 8 seed Southeast Missouri (13-17, 8-12 OVC) or No. 4 seed Morehead State (18-13, 13-7 OVC) in Friday’s 1 p.m. semifinal at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.
SEMO and Morehead State played in Thursday’s second round.
