Hull Named WAC Player of the Year, Woodson Earns All-WAC Second Team Honors
3/10/2026 8:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
ARLINGTON, Texas - Abilene Christian women's basketball's Payton Hull was named the 2025-26 WAC Player of the Year, the Western Athletic Conference announced Tuesday night. Hull landed on the All-WAC First Team and All-WAC Defensive Team, while Erin Woodson earned All-WAC Second Team honors as the conference released its postseason accolades.
It's the second season in a row that the Wildcats have placed a student-athlete on the All-WAC First Team, Second Team and Defensive Teams. Last year, Bella Earle received First Team and Defensive Team recognition, while Meredith Mayes garnered Second Team distinction.
Hull and Woodson powered the Wildcats to a second-place showing in the conference's regular-season standings at 22-9 with a 13-5 mark in WAC play. It marks the team's most conference victories since 2019-20 and first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2018-20.
Hull rewrote the Wildcats' record book with the most points (575), field goals (197) and steals (84) in a season in the program's Division I history. The junior guard becomes the third conference player of the year in team history, following Alexis Mason in 2016 and Breanna Wright in 2020, both of which came in the Southland Conference.
Hull, the conference's Freshman of the Year and an All-WAC Second Team honoree in 2023-24, adds to a stacked trophy case that saw her named the Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Player of the Week on three occasions this season. She was also named to the All-Tournament Team for ACU's Christmas Classic.
The Peaster, Texas product paced the WAC in scoring with 18.55 points per game while establishing herself as one of the most versatile players at the mid-major level. She scored in the double digits in all but one game this season and registered a steal in each contest. Hull collected over 100 more total points than the next-closest WAC student-athlete.
Hull touted the fourth-best field goal (.425) and free throw percentages (.817) in the conference and ranked second in three-pointers (2.39), third in steals (2.71), sixth in assists (3.00) and 20th in rebounds per game (4.32). She led the WAC in total field goals and three-pointers (74).
Hull carried the sixth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the WAC at 0.87 while playing the seventh-most minutes with 32.90 per game. She racked up the third-most total minutes with 1,020 and started each of ACU's 31 matchups.
Hull's total points, points per game, total steals and steals per game are each within the top 40 nationally.
In conference play, Hull again led the WAC with 19.00 points per game and ranked fifth in field goal (.421) and free throw clips (.825). She ranked second in steals (2.89), third in three-pointers (2.33) and sixth in assists per game (3.39). Hull's 0.87 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked sixth, and her 4.28 rebounds per game were 20th. She played the second-most minutes with 35.54 per game.
Hull scored 20-plus points in 13 games, the most in the WAC and four more than the next closest. She was the only student-athlete with two 30-point efforts, headlined by a 36-point eruption in a win at Tarleton State on Feb. 14. It marked an ACU Division I scoring record and was the most points scored in a WAC game this season.
One game later, Hull scored 30 points at Southern Utah for her fourth career 30-point performance, matching Wright for the most in the Wildcats' Division I era.
Hull ranks within the top 10 for career points, field goals, three-point field goals, free throws, steals and assists in ACU's Division I record book. She reached the 1,000-point milestone versus McMurry on Dec. 2, 2025, becoming the fastest of the nine Wildcats in the Division I era to accomplish the feat, doing so in her 60th career game.
Woodson armored ACU with one of the top guard tandems in the conference in her second season in Abilene. The junior scored 10 points or more in all but four games while starting each matchup and was named the Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Player of the Week twice.
The Richmond, Va. native ranked sixth in the conference with 14.26 points per game to go with five 20-point efforts and three double-doubles. Woodson touted the No. 5 free throw percentage at .756 and ranked in the top 15 for rebounds (6.26), assists (2.45), steals (1.87), three-pointers (1.29) and offensive boards per game (1.87). She paced the Wildcats with 33.28 minutes per outing.
In WAC matchups, Woodson stepped up to rank fifth with 14.78 points and eighth with 6.67 rebounds per game. Her .863 clip from the charity stripe was second-best in the conference as she remained in the top 15 for assists (2.39), steals (1.56), three-pointers (1.39) and offensive rebounds per game (1.94).
Woodson's 58 steals are sixth-most in a season in ACU's Division I era, and her 442 points are tied for 10th. Her 102 free throws rank ninth.
The Wildcats return to action at 4:30 p.m. (CT) Friday at the Air Force Reserve WAC Women's Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas. Second-seeded ACU will meet No. 3 Southern Utah, No. 6 UT Arlington or No. 7 Utah Tech in the semifinal round at Orleans Arena.
2025-26 WAC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards
2025-26 WAC Player of the Year
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
2025-26 WAC Defensive Player of the Year
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
2025-26 WAC Freshman of the Year
Lauren Olsen, G, California Baptist
2025-26 WAC Sixth Player of the Year
Khloe Lemon, Jr., G, California Baptist
2025-26 WAC Coach of the Year
Jarrod Olson, California Baptist
2025-26 All-WAC First Team
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Filipa Barros, R-Jr., G, California Baptist
Lauren Olsen, Fr., G, California Baptist
Ava Uhrich, Jr., F, Southern Utah
Kaylee Borden, R-Sr., G, Utah Tech
2025-26 All-WAC Second Team
Erin Woodson, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
Grace Schmidt, Sr., F, California Baptist
Sierra Chambers, So., G, Southern Utah
Brooklyn Fely, Jr., F, Southern Utah
Jakoriah Long, Sr., G, Tarleton State
Cambree Blackham, So., G, Utah Valley
2025-26 All-WAC Defensive Team
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
Elodie Lutbert, Fr., C, Tarleton State
Brie Crittendon, R-Sr., G, Utah Tech
Cambree Blackham, So., G, Utah Valley
2025-26 All-WAC Freshman Team
Reyleigh Hess, G, California Baptist
Lauren Olsen, G, California Baptist
Devyn Kiernan, G, Southern Utah
Elodie Lutbert, C, Tarleton State
Kira Reynolds, F, UT Arlington
It's the second season in a row that the Wildcats have placed a student-athlete on the All-WAC First Team, Second Team and Defensive Teams. Last year, Bella Earle received First Team and Defensive Team recognition, while Meredith Mayes garnered Second Team distinction.
Hull and Woodson powered the Wildcats to a second-place showing in the conference's regular-season standings at 22-9 with a 13-5 mark in WAC play. It marks the team's most conference victories since 2019-20 and first back-to-back 20-win seasons since 2018-20.
Hull rewrote the Wildcats' record book with the most points (575), field goals (197) and steals (84) in a season in the program's Division I history. The junior guard becomes the third conference player of the year in team history, following Alexis Mason in 2016 and Breanna Wright in 2020, both of which came in the Southland Conference.
Hull, the conference's Freshman of the Year and an All-WAC Second Team honoree in 2023-24, adds to a stacked trophy case that saw her named the Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Player of the Week on three occasions this season. She was also named to the All-Tournament Team for ACU's Christmas Classic.
The Peaster, Texas product paced the WAC in scoring with 18.55 points per game while establishing herself as one of the most versatile players at the mid-major level. She scored in the double digits in all but one game this season and registered a steal in each contest. Hull collected over 100 more total points than the next-closest WAC student-athlete.
Hull touted the fourth-best field goal (.425) and free throw percentages (.817) in the conference and ranked second in three-pointers (2.39), third in steals (2.71), sixth in assists (3.00) and 20th in rebounds per game (4.32). She led the WAC in total field goals and three-pointers (74).
Hull carried the sixth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the WAC at 0.87 while playing the seventh-most minutes with 32.90 per game. She racked up the third-most total minutes with 1,020 and started each of ACU's 31 matchups.
Hull's total points, points per game, total steals and steals per game are each within the top 40 nationally.
In conference play, Hull again led the WAC with 19.00 points per game and ranked fifth in field goal (.421) and free throw clips (.825). She ranked second in steals (2.89), third in three-pointers (2.33) and sixth in assists per game (3.39). Hull's 0.87 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked sixth, and her 4.28 rebounds per game were 20th. She played the second-most minutes with 35.54 per game.
Hull scored 20-plus points in 13 games, the most in the WAC and four more than the next closest. She was the only student-athlete with two 30-point efforts, headlined by a 36-point eruption in a win at Tarleton State on Feb. 14. It marked an ACU Division I scoring record and was the most points scored in a WAC game this season.
One game later, Hull scored 30 points at Southern Utah for her fourth career 30-point performance, matching Wright for the most in the Wildcats' Division I era.
Hull ranks within the top 10 for career points, field goals, three-point field goals, free throws, steals and assists in ACU's Division I record book. She reached the 1,000-point milestone versus McMurry on Dec. 2, 2025, becoming the fastest of the nine Wildcats in the Division I era to accomplish the feat, doing so in her 60th career game.
Woodson armored ACU with one of the top guard tandems in the conference in her second season in Abilene. The junior scored 10 points or more in all but four games while starting each matchup and was named the Jersey Mike's A Sub Above WAC Player of the Week twice.
The Richmond, Va. native ranked sixth in the conference with 14.26 points per game to go with five 20-point efforts and three double-doubles. Woodson touted the No. 5 free throw percentage at .756 and ranked in the top 15 for rebounds (6.26), assists (2.45), steals (1.87), three-pointers (1.29) and offensive boards per game (1.87). She paced the Wildcats with 33.28 minutes per outing.
In WAC matchups, Woodson stepped up to rank fifth with 14.78 points and eighth with 6.67 rebounds per game. Her .863 clip from the charity stripe was second-best in the conference as she remained in the top 15 for assists (2.39), steals (1.56), three-pointers (1.39) and offensive rebounds per game (1.94).
Woodson's 58 steals are sixth-most in a season in ACU's Division I era, and her 442 points are tied for 10th. Her 102 free throws rank ninth.
The Wildcats return to action at 4:30 p.m. (CT) Friday at the Air Force Reserve WAC Women's Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas. Second-seeded ACU will meet No. 3 Southern Utah, No. 6 UT Arlington or No. 7 Utah Tech in the semifinal round at Orleans Arena.
2025-26 WAC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards
2025-26 WAC Player of the Year
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
2025-26 WAC Defensive Player of the Year
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
2025-26 WAC Freshman of the Year
Lauren Olsen, G, California Baptist
2025-26 WAC Sixth Player of the Year
Khloe Lemon, Jr., G, California Baptist
2025-26 WAC Coach of the Year
Jarrod Olson, California Baptist
2025-26 All-WAC First Team
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Filipa Barros, R-Jr., G, California Baptist
Lauren Olsen, Fr., G, California Baptist
Ava Uhrich, Jr., F, Southern Utah
Kaylee Borden, R-Sr., G, Utah Tech
2025-26 All-WAC Second Team
Erin Woodson, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
Grace Schmidt, Sr., F, California Baptist
Sierra Chambers, So., G, Southern Utah
Brooklyn Fely, Jr., F, Southern Utah
Jakoriah Long, Sr., G, Tarleton State
Cambree Blackham, So., G, Utah Valley
2025-26 All-WAC Defensive Team
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Emma Johansson, Sr., F, California Baptist
Elodie Lutbert, Fr., C, Tarleton State
Brie Crittendon, R-Sr., G, Utah Tech
Cambree Blackham, So., G, Utah Valley
2025-26 All-WAC Freshman Team
Reyleigh Hess, G, California Baptist
Lauren Olsen, G, California Baptist
Devyn Kiernan, G, Southern Utah
Elodie Lutbert, C, Tarleton State
Kira Reynolds, F, UT Arlington
Players Mentioned
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