MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan women's basketball team has been recognized for its success in the classroom, earning a spot on the 2025-26 Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.

Led by head coach Casey Thousand, the Wildcats finished tied for 17th among NCAA Division II programs with a 3.752 cumulative team grade-point average. On the court, NMU was consistently ranked in the top 25 and closed the season at 25-8 with a third-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

The WBCA Academic Top 25 recognizes collegiate women's basketball teams across the nation in their respective divisions that carry the highest combined team GPAs for the entire season. To qualify, teams must post a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and be nominated by a WBCA-member head coach. The 2025-26 season marks the 31st year the WBCA has recognized the nation's top academic women's basketball programs.

Northern continued its academic excellence throughout the 2025-26 season, placing 12 student-athletes on the GLIAC All-Academic and Academic Excellence Teams. Four Wildcats also earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors, with Sydney Whitehouse, Addison Pytleski, Alyssa Hill and Sarah Newcomer receiving the recognition.

The 2026-27 Wildcats will open their season at the Midwest Tip-Off Challenge in Wisconsin Dells on October 30. The full schedule can be viewed here.