Senior forward Mia Nicastro of the Western Illinois University Leathernecks women’s basketball team was named on March 11 as one of five finalists for the 2026 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, presented by Her Hoop Stats.
The recognition marks a significant milestone for both Nicastro and the program, as she is the first player in Leathernecks history to reach finalist status for this award. The honor highlights her standout performance during the season and brings attention to mid-major athletes outside major conferences.
Nicastro averaged 24.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game over 31 contests, shooting 52.2 percent from the field, nearly 39 percent from three-point range, and almost 90 percent from the free-throw line. She also contributed defensively with averages of 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. Her achievements include being named Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Player of the Year, earning All-OVC First Team honors, receiving OVC Player of the Week six times, making the OVC All-Tournament team, surpassing 1,000 career points at Western Illinois, and ranking among national leaders in total points and field goals.
Head coach JD Gravina said, “This is such an honor for Mia to make the final group for such a prestigious award. When you look at her statistically, there is no doubt she is one of the top players in the nation at any level. Her raw numbers are so good, but when you look further at her percentages you see just how efficient she is. However, the best part of Mia is that she made everyone around her better, which is reflected in our team’s success.”
Nicastro led Western Illinois with multiple high-scoring games this season—including a season-high 37 points against Little Rock—and consistently recorded double-digit rebounds while anchoring both offense and defense.
The Leathernecks women’s basketball team held its home games on campus in Macomb, Illinois according to the official website. The program competed in the Ohio Valley Conference according to its official website and functioned as an intercollegiate athletics program at Western Illinois University according to its official website. The nickname “Leathernecks” was adopted by Western Illinois University Women’s Basketball to honor the U.S. Marine Corps according to its official website.
The Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award recognizes top performers from conferences outside major leagues such as ACC or Big Ten; this year’s winner will be announced April 1.
Nicastro’s selection as a finalist underscores her impact on mid-major women’s basketball and caps off one of Western Illinois’ most notable seasons.
