SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – On the morning of the Summit League's annual media day festivities in Sioux Falls, senior center
Walker Demers has been named to the 2025-26 Summit League Preseason Second Team, as announced by the league on Tuesday morning.
The honor is the first for the Grafton, N.D, native and marks the third time in the last four seasons that North Dakota has had a representative on the team.
Demers is set to lead UND as the team's top returning scorer and rebounder from last season, finishing with 9.5 points and 7.1 boards per contest last season in 25 games. She notched 12 games last season with double-digit scoring outputs, including seven against Summit League foes.
On the defensive side, she also notched seven games with at least 10 rebounds and only had two games with fewer than three. Demers had two of her best games last season against St. Thomas, notching double-doubles in both regular season contests, including a 20-point, 15-rebound effort on Jan. 30.
In addition to the preseason teams, the Summit League also revealed its annual preseason poll, with North Dakota picked to finish seventh for the second straight year.
Points for the preseason poll were compiled on a 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis, while all-league teams were compiled on an 11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. The top six vote-getters earned first-team honors and the next five were selected to the second team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own student-athletes or team.
2025-26 Preseason Summit League Player of the Year
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State*
2025-26 Preseason All-Summit League First Team
Emani Bennett, Kansas City, Jr., G (15.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg)#
Avery Koenen, North Dakota State, Jr., F (14.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg)#
Madison Mathiowetz, South Dakota State, Sr., G (8.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg)#
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State, Sr., F (17.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.9 apg)#
Jalei Oglesby, Oral Roberts, R-Sr., G (17.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg)#
Jocelyn Schiller, North Dakota State, So., G (13.2 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.9 apg)#@
2025-26 Preseason All-Summit League Second Team
Walker Demers, North Dakota, Sr., C (9.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg)#
Marisa Frost, North Dakota State, So., G (9.9 ppg, 1.9 apg)#
Maggie Hartwig, South Dakota State, Jr., F (16.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg)&
Angelina Robles, South Dakota, Sr., G (9.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg)#^
Katie Vasecka, South Dakota State, So., G (8.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg)#
#Stats from 2024-25 Summit League games
@Stats from 2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference games
^Played for the University of Denver
@Played for the University of North Dakota
*Preseason player of the year automatically earns a spot on the first team
2025-26 Summit League Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
School |
Points (1st) |
2024-25 Record (SL) |
| 1. |
South Dakota State |
558 (34) |
30-4 (16-0) |
| 2. |
North Dakota State |
498 (2) |
21-12 (11-5) |
| 3. |
Oral Roberts |
410 |
24-9 (12-4) |
| 4. |
South Dakota |
320 |
11-20 (5-11) |
| 5. |
St. Thomas |
305 |
17-13 (9-7) |
| 6. |
Kansas City |
291 |
11-22 (6-10) |
| 7. |
North Dakota |
251 |
12-19 (6-10) |
| 8. |
Omaha |
121 |
14-17 (5-11) |
| 9. |
Denver |
101 |
9-21 (2-14) |
For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, follow on social media @UNDwbasketball or visit FightingHawks.com.
