Four Panthers named to All-MVC Teams
3/12/2025 10:24:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) announced the 2025 women's basketball All-Conference teams on Wednesday morning as voted on by league coaches, women's basketball contacts, and media. The six teams made up of 31 players include All-MVC First, Second, and Third Teams as well as All-Freshman, All-Newcomer, and All-Defensive Teams.
This season, Maya McDermott was named to the All-MVC First Team, Kayba Laube was named to the Third Team, Elise Jaeger was named to the All-Freshman Team, and Ryley Goebel was named to the All-Defensive Team. This is McDermott's second season on the All-MVC First Team and third overall selection to an All-MVC squad. Rylkey Goebel is appearing on her second All-Valley list after being named to the All-Freshman Team two seasons ago. Kayba Laube and Elise Jaeger are appearing on their first All-Valley teams.
Maya McDermott finishes the regular-season with one of the best seasons in UNI history including 587 points, a UNI season-record 218 field goals, and 141 assists after playing and starting in all 31 games for the Panthers this season. Maya McDermott leads the MVC in field goal attempts (488), and free throw percentage (91.8). Her 91.8% from the stripe is the sixth-best mark in the nation. The senior guard is second in the Valley in assist/turnover ratio (2.43) and third in the league in field goals (218), points (587), and points per game (18.9). The Johnston, Iowa native was named to the 2025 Women's College Basketball All-Star Game Midseason Watch List. The list includes 68 players for a game that will occur on April 5 in Tampa, Florida. Earlier this season, McDermott was named to the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award midseason watch list, as announced by Her Hoop Stats. The team included 15 players over 10 conferences. Katie Dinnebier was the other MVC athlete to be named on both lists.
A Marion, Iowa native, Kayba Laube was named to the All-MVC Third Team, the first All-Valley recognition of her career. This season saw Laube lead the Valley with a 46.4% three-point percentage, the third-best mark in the nation. The guard was second in the MVC in threes (83) and threes per game (2.68). Her 83 threes are 15th in the nation and her 2.68 threes per game are 18th. Laube broke UNI's record for career three-pointers earlier this season and has recorded the third-best career three-point percentage to this point. Just 14 threes shy of the single-season three-point record at UNI, Laube became the fourth active Panther and the 31st overall member of UNI's 100-point club this season. She also set the UNI single-game record for three-pointers in a game with 10 against Pittsburg at the Paradise Jam Tournament.
A freshman from West Des Moines, Iowa, Elise Jaeger finished the regular season with 182 points, 172 rebounds, and 15 blocks after playing all 31 games and making 19 starts. Jaeger hit 23 threes en route to an All-Freshman Team, UNI's first All-Freshman Team honoree since Ryley Goebel in 2022-23 and 12th overall.
Ryley Goebel makes her first appearance on the MVC All-Defensive Team after one of the best defensive seasons in Valley history. Goebel has played and started in all 31 of the Panthers' matchups this season and recorded 324 points and 179 rebounds in just over 800 minutes on the court. The junior forward has put on one of the top performances in Panther history and recorded the first 60+-block/60+-steal season in UNI and Valley history. Goebel is two blocks shy of being the first Panther in history to record 150+ blocks AND steals. UNI's 16th All-Defensive Team honoree, Goebel is the first Panther named on the squad since Megan Maahs in 2017-18.
The Panthers continue the 2024-25 season in the MVC Tournament in Evansville, Indiana from March 13-16. The Panthers will take on the Sycamores of Indiana State on Thursday, March 13 at 8:30 p.m.
UNI women's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Women's Basketball), X (@UNIwbb), and on Instagram (@uni_wbb). The 2024-25 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
