Bradley University Athletics

Waite Named MVC Freshman of the Year

Caroline Waite becomes the third student-athlete in program history voted the league's top freshman

Josh Schwam

Bobby Parker, Sr. Associate AD for Communications and Event & Facility Operations Women's Basketball 3/10/2022 6:16:00 PM

MOLINE, IL – Bradley guard Caroline Waite (Ames, IA/Ames HS) was recognized as the 2021-22 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Freshman of the Year during the league's postseason awards ceremony between first-round games of the Hoops in the Heartland MVC Championship Thursday evening at TaxSlayer Center.

Waite becomes the third Bradley student-athlete to earn women's basketball conference Freshman-of-the-Year honors, joining Gateway Conference honoree Karen Nicholls in 1986-87 and Valley recipient Lasha Petree in 2018-19.

Waite enters the tournament as the top-scoring underclassman (freshmen and sophomores) in The Valley. Averaging 13.1 points per game, she ranks seventh in the league overall for the highest ranking among the league's scoring leaders by a freshman since 2013-14.

In position to become the fifth freshman in program history to lead the Braves in season scoring average, Waite also leads the league's women and ranks second among all men's and women's basketball student-athletes in The Valley by averaging 2.88 3-point field goals made per game (two-time Larry Bird MVC Men's Basketball Player of the Year A.J. Green of UNI is averaging 2.89 3FGM/gm). Needing one more triple to become the fifth student-athlete in Bradley women's basketball history to make at least 70 3-pointers in a season, Waite's per-game average ranks fourth among all of the nation's men's and women's basketball freshmen.

Waite was selected The Valley Newcomer of the Week twice during the regular season: Nov. 15 after dropping 23 points in her college debut against Wright State and Feb. 7 after averaging 22.5 points in a home split against Indiana State and Evansville. She also made an appearance on ESPN SportsCenter's Top Plays (#10) with her left-handed, shot clock buzzer-beating perimeter shot in the Feb. 6 win against Evansville.

Waite will have little time to celebrate her award as the Braves begin defense of their 2021 MVC Women's Basketball Championship Thursday night with a rematch against last year's championship game opponent, Drake. The winner of Thursday's first-round matchup will meet No. 2 seed Missouri State in Friday's 6 p.m. semifinal game. All games through the first three rounds of Hoops in the Heartland will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Sunday's 1 p.m. championship game to air on ESPNU.

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Players Mentioned

#11 Lasha Petree: G; 6' 0"; Junior

#11 Caroline Waite: G; 5' 4"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Lasha Petree
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G

#11 Caroline Waite
: 5' 4"; Freshman
: G

Waite Named MVC Freshman of the Year

Caroline Waite becomes the third student-athlete in program history voted the league's top freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Lasha Petree

#11 Caroline Waite

Players Mentioned

#11 Lasha Petree

#11 Caroline Waite