Photo by: Karl Maasdam/Oregon State Athletics
Shuler Named WCC DPOY, Three Earn All-League Honors
March 03, 2026 | Women's Basketball
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Kennedie Shuler became the fourth Oregon State women's basketball player to earn conference Defensive Player of the Year honors on Tuesday and she was joined by two teammates on the All-WCC team.
Shuler was one of three Beavers to earn All-WCC honors, picking up a first team selection for the first time in her career. Jenna Villa (1st Team) and Tiara Bolden (2nd Team) also earned all-league honors for the first time.
Defensively, Shuler is the first Oregon State player to record 65 steals in a season since Earlysia Marchbanks had 75 in 2011-12. The junior tied the OSU single game steals record with 10 against Gonzaga and added three blocks. She is is one of four players in all of D1 women's basketball to notch 10 steals and three blocks in a game since 1999-00. Shuler ranked third among WCC guards with 29 blocks and has 18 more steals than the top-two shot-blocking guards combined.
Offensively, Shuler earned All-WCC honors with a breakout year both scoring and passing the ball. She ranks third all-time in assists by an OSU junior with 163 and is four dimes away from breaking into the single-season top-10 (167 - Margy Becker, 1980-81). Shuler averages 13.1 points per game, a career-high by 5.2, while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor. She scored a career-best 31 while willing the Beavs to a win at Pacific.
Villa blossomed in her first year with the Beavers, averaging career-highs in scoring (14.8 ppg), rebounding (5.2 rpg) three-point shooting (36.5%) and field goal percentage (41.7%). The junior is one of two Beavs to score 30 or more points multiple times since Scott Rueck became the head coach in 2010-11 with 32 against Pacific and 31 against Gonzaga. Villa is three free-throw makes away from the single-season top-10 at 119 (122 - Casey Bunn, 2006-07) and 13 points off the top-10 in single-season scoring by an OSU junior (473 – Talisa Rhea, 2009-10 & Monica Raspberry, 1986-87).
Bolden took full advantage of her the Pavia waiver that granted her an extra year to play with the Beavs. The senior scored a career-high 13.3 points per game while shooting five percent better from the field (37.6% in 2024-25 to 42.7% in 2025-26) and more than 10 percent better at the free-throw line (87.1%). Bolden also is pulling down a career-best 4.9 rebounds per game. She led the Beavers to a win over Portland with 29 points – a career-high – and powered OSU to a win over Illinois with 25 points.
Oregon State will open the Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship on Sunday, March 8 at 11:30 a.m. as the no. 4 seed. As a top-four seed, the Beavers advance to the quarterfinals automatically and will play one of Seattle U (12-seed), Washington State (9-seed), Pacific (8-seed) or Portland (5-seed).
2025-26 WCC Women's Basketball Awards
Coach of the Year – Aarika Hughes, LMU
Player of the Year – Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
Defensive Player of the Year – Kennedie Shuler, Oregon State
Freshman of the Year – Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
Newcomer of the Year – Jess Lawson, LMU
Sixth Woman of the Year – Jaiden Haile, Gonzaga
2025-26 All-West Coast Conference Women's Basketball First Team
2025-26 All-West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Second Team
2025-26 All-West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Honorable Mention
2025-26 West Coast Conference Women's Basketball All-Freshman Team
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
Shuler was one of three Beavers to earn All-WCC honors, picking up a first team selection for the first time in her career. Jenna Villa (1st Team) and Tiara Bolden (2nd Team) also earned all-league honors for the first time.
Defensively, Shuler is the first Oregon State player to record 65 steals in a season since Earlysia Marchbanks had 75 in 2011-12. The junior tied the OSU single game steals record with 10 against Gonzaga and added three blocks. She is is one of four players in all of D1 women's basketball to notch 10 steals and three blocks in a game since 1999-00. Shuler ranked third among WCC guards with 29 blocks and has 18 more steals than the top-two shot-blocking guards combined.
Offensively, Shuler earned All-WCC honors with a breakout year both scoring and passing the ball. She ranks third all-time in assists by an OSU junior with 163 and is four dimes away from breaking into the single-season top-10 (167 - Margy Becker, 1980-81). Shuler averages 13.1 points per game, a career-high by 5.2, while shooting 48.8 percent from the floor. She scored a career-best 31 while willing the Beavs to a win at Pacific.
Villa blossomed in her first year with the Beavers, averaging career-highs in scoring (14.8 ppg), rebounding (5.2 rpg) three-point shooting (36.5%) and field goal percentage (41.7%). The junior is one of two Beavs to score 30 or more points multiple times since Scott Rueck became the head coach in 2010-11 with 32 against Pacific and 31 against Gonzaga. Villa is three free-throw makes away from the single-season top-10 at 119 (122 - Casey Bunn, 2006-07) and 13 points off the top-10 in single-season scoring by an OSU junior (473 – Talisa Rhea, 2009-10 & Monica Raspberry, 1986-87).
Bolden took full advantage of her the Pavia waiver that granted her an extra year to play with the Beavs. The senior scored a career-high 13.3 points per game while shooting five percent better from the field (37.6% in 2024-25 to 42.7% in 2025-26) and more than 10 percent better at the free-throw line (87.1%). Bolden also is pulling down a career-best 4.9 rebounds per game. She led the Beavers to a win over Portland with 29 points – a career-high – and powered OSU to a win over Illinois with 25 points.
Oregon State will open the Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship on Sunday, March 8 at 11:30 a.m. as the no. 4 seed. As a top-four seed, the Beavers advance to the quarterfinals automatically and will play one of Seattle U (12-seed), Washington State (9-seed), Pacific (8-seed) or Portland (5-seed).
2025-26 WCC Women's Basketball Awards
Coach of the Year – Aarika Hughes, LMU
Player of the Year – Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
Defensive Player of the Year – Kennedie Shuler, Oregon State
Freshman of the Year – Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga
Newcomer of the Year – Jess Lawson, LMU
Sixth Woman of the Year – Jaiden Haile, Gonzaga
2025-26 All-West Coast Conference Women's Basketball First Team
| NAME | YR. | POS. | SCHOOL |
| Candy Edokpaigbe | So. | G | San Francisco |
| Elli Guiney | So. | G | Pepperdine |
| Ashley Hawkins | Gr. | G | Santa Clara |
| Maya Hernandez | Jr. | F | LMU |
| Maia Jones | R-Jr. | G | Santa Clara |
| Jess Lawson | Gr. | G | LMU |
| Kennedie Shuler | Jr. | G | Oregon State |
| Allie Turner | So. | G | Gonzaga |
| Jenna Villa | Jr. | G | Oregon State |
| Lauren Whittaker | R-Fr. | F | Gonzaga |
2025-26 All-West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Second Team
| NAME | YR. | POS. | SCHOOL |
| Dyani Ananiev | R-So. | G | Portland |
| Tiara Bolden | Sr. | G | Oregon State |
| Andjela Matic | Sr. | G | LMU |
| Kylie Ray | So. | G | San Diego |
| Eleonora Villa | Jr. | G | Washington State |
2025-26 All-West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Honorable Mention
| NAME | YR. | POS. | SCHOOL |
| Winner Bartholomew | So. | F | Pacific |
| Ella Brubaker | Gr. | G | Seattle U |
| Aina Cargol | Fr. | G | San Francisco |
| Florence Dallow | R-So. | G | Portland |
| Lina Falk | Jr. | G | Pepperdine |
| Meghan Fiso | Gr. | G | Pepperdine |
| Ava Schmidt | Jr. | F | Santa Clara |
| Abigail Shoff | Jr. | F | Saint Mary's |
| Sydney Ward | Sr. | G | Pacific |
2025-26 West Coast Conference Women's Basketball All-Freshman Team
| NAME | POS. | SCHOOL |
| Aina Cargol | G | San Francisco |
| Julia Dalan | C | Portland |
| Jaiden Haile | F | Gonzaga |
| Delainey Miller | G | Santa Clara |
| Olivia Owens | G | San Diego |
| Lauren Whittaker | F | Gonzaga |
OUR MISSION
Oregon State Athletics strives to Build Excellent Authentic Visionary Student-Athletes (Go BEAVS).
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballShootin' Schimel | Every Ally Schimel Three-Pointer from Her Sophomore Season!
Wednesday, March 25
Scott Rueck, Tiara Bolden, Néné Sow | Oregon State WBB WBIT First Round Presser
Friday, March 20
Highlights | Oregon State WBB Advances to the WCC Semifinals with 60-50 Win
Monday, March 09
Scott Rueck, Tiara Bolden, Lizzy Williamson | Oregon State WBB Presser vs. LMU
Sunday, March 01
