WBB Academic All-District Teams (Click Here)

Four Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball student-athletes have been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District women's basketball teams, as announced by the organization Thursday. Drake placed two players on the list, while Illinois State and Missouri State each had a single representative.

Drake's Sara Rhine and Becca Hittner are repeat honorees, while Illinois State's Lexi Wallen and Missouri State's Alexa Willard are first-time selections. All four players are now eligible for the Academic All-America ballot.  

On the basketball court, Hittner and Rhine each surpassed 2,000 career points this season. The duo are the first-ever men’s or women’s Missouri Valley Conference teammates to reach the impressive total together. Hittner leads the MVC in scoring at 18.2 points per game while Rhine is tied for second at 17.6 points. Rhine is the top-shooter in the Valley with a blistering 66.3 percent from the field.

Wallen is ranked second in scoring in the Valley, averaging 17.6 points and 6.5 boards per contest. The forward is also ranked second in the MVC in field goal percentage, shooting 57.3 percent (153-of-267) from the floor. The senior is coming off a career performance last weekend, in which she put up a career-best 35 points and seven rebounds in Friday’s double overtime win over Loyola Chicago at Redbird Arena.

Willard leads the No. 18/23 Lady Bears in scoring at 16.7 points per game, shooting 48.4 percent overall, an MVC-best 47.2 percent on 3-pointers, and ranks sixth nationally at 89.9 percent from the foul line.

To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable).