The Division II women’s basketball sphere has blessed the 2022-2023 season with impeccable play, and the national championship should be no different.

The No. 1 seeded Ashland University Eagles and the No. 6 seeded University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs will go toe-to-toe in Dallas on Saturday, April 1, at 3:30 pm EST.

Heading into the title game, both teams have had their fair share of program accolades.

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) was busy with these top two teams throughout the season. On top of ranking them within the top 25 all year long, the WBCA gave two of its yearly awards to the Eagles and one to the Bulldogs.

With an undefeated record, conference championship and midwest tournament championship underneath the team’s belt, Head Coach Kari Pickens was named D-II Coach of the Year. Alongside Pickens, counterpart Jenna Kotas was given the honor of D-II Assistant Coach of the Year.

Pickens, who won a D-II title as a player and an assistant coach, will have an opportunity to complete the trifecta with a title as a head coach.

For the Bulldogs, they lost just two games in nonconference play and one during conference play en route to a conference championship and central region tournament title. While the Eagles received coaching honors, the Bulldogs had player accolades for forward Brooke Olson, who took home D-II Player of the Year.

“They do a lot of things well at both ends of the court, but Olson sets them apart,” Eagle Head Coach Kari Pickens said. “Just the way she can score in a variety of ways is special.”

Olson heads into the national championship averaging a stellar 23 points per game to go alongside 57% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. On the season she has posted 15 20-point games, six 30-point games and two 40-point games.

With Pickens recognizing how versatile Olson can be, the storyline to follow will during the national championship will be whether the undefeated Eagles can limit or slow down the D-II Player of the Year.

She has only had one single-digit game, and four games under 15 points this season. While it will be a tough task for the Eagles to cover, Pickens has a deep resume behind her and will surely have a game plan to stop the star forward.

“Brooke is incredibly talented and the most versatile player I have ever been around,” said Bulldog Head Coach Mandy Pearson. “I say this often but she has found a way to improve as a leader and a basketball player every single year.

Olson will have the opportunity to finish off her final collegiate season by giving her program their first D-II title, while Pickens will be looking for her first as a head coach.

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