ARLINGTON, Texas – Abilene Christian’s Payton Hull was tabbed the 2025-26 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Women’s Basketball Player of the Year on Tuesday, as voted on by the league’s seven head coaches in part of the end of season awards presented by Jersey Mike’s.
 
Hull was the only non-Lancer to earn one of the five major awards as the 2025-26 WAC regular season champions, California Baptist, swept the rest of the yearly awards. The other top awards winners from Riverside include Emma Johansson (WAC Defensive Player of the Year), Lauren Olsen (WAC Freshman of the Year), Khloe Lemon (WAC Sixth Player of the Year) and Jarrod Olson (WAC Coach of the Year).
 
Hull led the WAC in scoring this season in all games (18.5 ppg) and in conference games (19.0 ppg). Hull’s 13 20-point games were the most in the league as she was also the only player in the WAC to record multiple 30-point games including a WAC game-high 36 points against Tarleton State on Feb. 14. Hull notched doubled-digit scoring in 30 out of 31 games this year and tallied the most 3-pointers made in the WAC with 74 total shots made from beyond the arc. Hull was also a strong defensive force for the Wildcats as she was one steal shy of leading the WAC with 84 total steals on the year, collecting at least one steal in every game this season.
 
The Lancers occupied four spots on the WAC all-conference teams this season, the most in the league. First-team selections included ACU’s Hull, CBU’s Olsen and Filipa Barros, Southern Utah’s Ava Uhrich and Utah Tech’s Kaylee Borden. A four-way tie in the second-team votes resulted in a seven-player team including Abilene Christian’s Erin Woodson, CBU’s Johansson and Grace Schmidt, Southern Utah’s Sierra Chambers and Brooklyn Fely, Tarleton State’s Jakoriah Long and Utah Valley’s Cambree Blackham.
 
2025-26 WAC Women’s Basketball Awards (as voted by the conference’s head coaches)
 
WAC Player of the Year
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
 
WAC Defensive Player of the Year
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
 
WAC Freshman of the Year
Lauren Olsen, G, California Baptist
 
WAC Sixth Player of the Year
Khloe Lemon, Jr., G, California Baptist
 
WAC Coach of the Year
Jarrod Olson, California Baptist
 
All-WAC First Team
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Filipa Barros, R-Jr., G, California Baptist
Lauren Olsen, Fr., G, California Baptist
Ava Uhrich, Jr., F, Southern Utah
Kaylee Borden, R-Sr., G, Utah Tech
 
All-WAC Second Team
Erin Woodson, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
Grace Schmidt, Sr., F, California Baptist
Sierra Chambers, So., G, Southern Utah
Brooklyn Fely, Jr., F, Southern Utah
Jakoriah Long, Sr., G, Tarleton State
Cambree Blackham, So., G, Utah Valley
 
All-WAC Defensive Team
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
Elodie Lutbert, Fr., C, Tarleton State
Brie Crittendon, R-Sr., G, Utah Tech
Cambree Blackham, So., G, Utah Valley
 
All-WAC Freshman Team
Reyleigh Hess, G, California Baptist
Lauren Olsen, G, California Baptist
Devyn Kiernan, G, Southern Utah
Elodie Lutbert, C, Tarleton State
Kira Reynolds, F, UT Arlington