SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota State was picked to once again hoist the Summit League Women’s Basketball regular season trophy and Jackrabbit forward Brooklyn Meyer was named the Preseason Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season, League officials released Tuesday. The voting panel included the League’s nine head coaches, sports information directors and select media members.
The Jackrabbits, who finished the 2023-24 League season with a 16-0 record, went unbeaten for the third time in four years a season ago and claimed the top spot in the poll after totaling 562 points and garnering 34 of the 36 first-place votes.
Oral Roberts, who finished third a year ago, was the runner-up in the poll, receiving 479 points and one first-place vote. The Golden Eagles went 21-11 and 11-5 in league play under third-year head coach Kelsi Musick in 2023-24, posting the program’s first 20-win season since 2011-12.
North Dakota State, who finished runner-up to the Jackrabbits last season with a 12-4 record, were picked to finish third, earning 427 and the remaining first-place vote.
South Dakota was picked to finish fourth with 363 points. The Coyote women are the only program under new leadership this season as first-year head coach Carrie Eighmey takes over the helm in Vermillion.
St. Thomas was selected fifth with 336 points, which is where the Tommies finished in their third season as a league member last season. It was the best finish for the program since its transition to the Division I level.
Denver and North Dakota, who shared sixth place last season, were next in the poll, holding down and sixth and seventh place, respectively. The Pioneers received 220 points, while the Fighting Hawks had 188 points.
Kansas City and Omaha rounded out the poll in eighth and ninth. The Roos earned 144 points, while the Mavericks closed things out with 116 points.
Meyer is the league’s top-returning scorer and the league’s reigning Player of the Year and Defensive Player of Year after averaging 18.7 ppg, pulling down 7.3 rpg and leading the league in blocks (1.3/g). She ranked second and third, respectively in scoring and rebounding in Summit action.
Joining Meyer on the Preseason All-Summit League first team were Jackrabbit teammate Pagie Meyer, Denver’s Jordan Jones, the Oral Roberts duo of Taleyah Jones and Ruthie Udoumoh, and South Dakota’s Grace Larkins.
The Meyer duo and Larkins are returning all-league first team honorees, while the Jones duo and Udoumoh were second-team honorees.
The Preseason All-Summit League second team was comprised of Omaha’s Grace Cave, the St. Thomas duo of Jade Hill and Amber Scalia, Oral Roberts’ Jalei Oglesby and South Dakota State’s Haleigh Timmer, who returns after missing all of last season. Timmer was the 2022-23 Summit League Championship MVP.
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.
2024-25 Preseason Summit League Player of the Year
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State*
2024-25 Preseason All-Summit League First Team
Jordan Jones, Denver, G (16.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg)#
Taleyah Jones, Oral Roberts (18.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg)#
Grace Larkins, South Dakota, Jr., G (15.6 ppg; 7.1 rpg; 5.0 apg)#
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State (18.7 ppg/7.8 rpg)#
Paige Meyer, South Dakota State, Jr., G (13.7 ppg/4.4 apg)#
Ruthie Udoumoh, Oral Roberts, Gr., F (11.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg)#
2024-25 Preseason All-Summit League Second Team
Grace Cave, Omaha, Sr., G (14.0 ppg, 3.8 apg)#
Jade Hill, St. Thomas, Sr., G (13.1 ppg, 4.1 apg)#
Jalei Oglesby, Oral Roberts, RJr., G (13.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg)#
Amber Scalia, St. Thomas, Jr., G (16.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg)#
Haleigh Timmer, South Dakota State, Jr., G (12.1 ppg; 3.6 rpg)**
#stats from 2023-24 Summit League games
**stats from 2022-23 Summit League games
*Preseason player of the year automatically earns a spot on the first team
2024-25 Summit League Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll
| Rank |
School |
Points (1st) |
2023-24 Record (SL) |
| 1. |
South Dakota State |
562 (34) |
27-6 (16-0) |
| 2. |
Oral Roberts |
479 (1) |
22-12 (13-3) |
| 3. |
North Dakota State |
427 (1) |
21-11 (11-5) |
| 4. |
South Dakota |
363 |
23-13 (9-7) |
| 5. |
St. Thomas |
336 |
15-16 (7-9) |
| 6. |
Denver |
220 |
8-22 (5-11) |
| 7. |
North Dakota |
188 |
9-21 (5-11) |
| 8. |
Kansas City |
144 |
12-20 (3-13) |
| 9. |
Omaha |
116 |
8-23 (3-13) |
#SummitWBB
