MANKATO — Her time as a Maverick is over, but one last accolade remained for Natalie Bremer.
Minnesota State basketball’s all-time leading scorer was named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year. The DII Honda Athlete of the Year was selected by senior women administrators from more than 1,000 NCAA member schools. Bremer will be honored during a live broadcast on CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. Monday, July 27, in New York City.
“I am honored and blessed to be able to be named the D2 Honda Athlete of the Year foremost because there are so many great athletes across the country and to be named the best is completely amazing,” Bremer said in a statement. “I couldn’t be any more grateful for those that have supported me to get me to this point.”
Originally from Lake City, Minnesota., Bremer became the first Maverick in team history to be named the WBCA NCAA Division II Player of the Year. She also claimed WBCA All-American First Team honors, All-NSIC First Team honors and was named the NSIC South Division Player of the Year.
Bremer led the Mavericks to a 29-3 record, including a 21-1 record in NSIC action to secure Minnesota State its third NSIC Championship in team history. Breme, who started all 32 games this season, averaged 21.8 points per game while shooting .486 from the field. She finished the year ranked sixth nationally in scoring and became Minnesota State’s all-time leading scorer for both men and women with 2,371 career points.
In the classroom, Bremer was regularly named to the NSIC All-Academic Team and eventually earned CSC Academic All-American First Team honors in 2026.
“We are extremely proud of Natalie for being named the DII Honda Athlete of the Year,” head coach Emilee Thiesse said in a statement. “This is an incredible honor and a testament to the impact she has made as one of the very best student-athletes in Division II. Natalie is a proven leader, an exceptional teammate, and a dedicated student. She embodies the values of Maverick Women’s Basketball in everything she does while continually challenging herself to reach new heights. We could not be happier
Other finalists for the DII Honda Athlete of the Year Award include Sara Batchadji from Florida Tech (soccer), Amely Bochaton from Wingate (golf), Kristyna Hranacova of Nova Southeastern (tennis), Parker Keeler from Newberry (field hockey), Gwen McGinnis from Tampa (softball), Makenna Nold from the all familiar Concordia St. Paul volleyball program, Kristina Orban of Nova Southeastern (swimming & diving), Tristan Spence of Adams State (cross country) and Blakelee Winn of Pittsburg State (track & field).