The 2024 NAIA Women’s Basketball Championship between Dordt (Iowa) and Providence (Mont.) came down to the final quarter. The Defenders closed the contest with a 10-4 run that put DU up by as many as five points. The five-point lead, with five seconds left, gave the Defenders enough space to win the Battle for the Red Banner 57-53 on Tuesday night in the Tyson Events Center.

Dordt (Iowa) opened the season at No. 3 in the Preseason Coaches’ Top 25 Rating and went between No. 1 & 2 for the remainder of the season with four total No. 1 ranks. The Defenders lost only two games throughout the season to South Dakota State and Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) opponent Northwestern (Iowa). The loss to Northwestern came just before the GPAC Tournament, where the Defenders started a run that carried them to capture the GPAC Championship title and then to the NAIA Championship game with an 8-game win streak.

Providence (Mont.) steadily made its way up the Coaches’ Top 25 Rating throughout the season. UP started at No. 24 in the preseason rating and ended at No. 14 in the final regular season rating. The Argos suffered eight losses on the season, but the team ended the regular season and entered the Frontier Conference Tournament with three wins in a row, which turned into five after UP won the Frontier Conference Tournament Title. Providence continued to stretch its win streak after entering NAIA Championship Tournament play, with a total 10-game win streak.

Teams from opposite corners of the bracket would meet in the championship game. Dordt from the Liston Quadrant and Providence from the Naismith Quadrant. Both teams had to advance through conference opponents during championship pay. DU surpassed Briar Cliff (Iowa) in the quarterfinal round, while UP had to go through Carroll (Mont.) for the fifth time this season.

Providence, already on a history-setting run, advanced past the quarterfinals for the first time, while Dordt had previously advanced to the championship in 2022. A new champion would be crowned on Tuesday night, as neither the Defenders nor the Argos had won a title. For the first time, these two teams met each other in NAIA postseason play on the hardwood of the Fleet Farm Arena in the Tyson Events Center for the final 2024 Battle for the Red Banner.

After the tip, teams remained scoreless for nearly two minutes when Bailey Beckman of Dordt dropped the first two points of the contest. The Defenders held the lead through the first quarter, while Providence remained close behind and tied the score at 12 with 57 seconds left in the quarter. Thanks to a couple of free throws from Karly Gustafson (6'0''-F) of Dordt, DU took the lead into the second quarter.

The second quarter started with a nearly three-minute scoring drought until Gustafson broke through with a shot from inside the paint. The four-point lead that Dordt held at the start of the quarter quickly disappeared once Providence was on the board with a shot in the paint from Monique Carter. Carter’s shot launched the Argos on a 15-4 scoring run and gave them a seven-point lead to take to the locker room at the half.

Back from the locker room, UP captured what would be its largest lead of the contest at 10 points. However, the Defenders answered with a 12-3 run and closed the scoring gap to one point. The Argos responded with five points in the following minute to put their lead back at six. DU stormed back to close the scoring gap to two points after Macy Sievers (5'8''-G) was fouled twice and sent to the line. Sievers made all four of those shots just before time ran out in the third quarter.

The battle continued into the final quarter as the teams went back and forth with five lead changes and two ties until Janie Schoonhoven (5'10''-F)’s made free throw with 3:23 left in the game. Schoonhovens free throw was the start of a 10-4 run that put DU up by as many as five points and gave the Defenders the space they needed to win the Battle for the Red Banner, 57-53.

Dordt outscored Providence in each quarter except for the second quarter when the Argos scored 15 compared to the Defenders' six. The teams nearly matched each other in field goal percentage (UP 36.4%, DU 37.7%) while matching made field goals at 20 each. The Argos had more success from deep and made six compared to the Defenders one. The biggest difference in the team stats was Dordt’s 16 made free throws compared to UP’s seven.

Ashlee Maldonado (5'7''-G) of Providence led all scorers with 18 points. Karly Gustafson of Dordt followed with 16 points.

Keanna Salave’a of Providence and Janie Schoonhoven of Dordt were the only players to pull down double-digit rebounds with 15 (13 def, 2 off) and 11 (8 def, 3 off) rebounds respectively.

Schoonhoven was the only player to record a double-double on the night with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

All-Tournament Team

First Team:
Jamie Pickens (6'2''-F), Carroll (Mont.)
Kassie Monday (5'4''-G), Cumberlands (Ky.)
Karly Gustafson, Dordt (Iowa)
Macy Sievers, Dordt (Iowa)
Ashlee Maldonado, Providence (Mont.)

Second Team:
Mallie McNair (5'8''-G), Briar Cliff (Iowa)
Maddie Geritz (6'2''-F), Carroll (Mont.)
Kaylie Monday1 (5'4''-G), Cumberlands (Ky.)
Janie Schoonhoven, Dordt (Iowa)
Maddy Dixon (6'0''-F/C), Providence (Mont.)

Tournament MVP: Macy Sievers, Dordt (Iowa)

Hustle Award: Janie Schoonhoven, Dordt (Iowa)

courtesy of NAIA

All-Tournament MVP: Macy Sievers (5'8''-G) of Dordt
All-Tournament Hustle Award: Janie Schoonhoven (5'10''-F) of Dordt

NAIA All-Tournament 1st Team 2024

Pickens

Monday

Gustafson

Sievers

Maldonado

All-Tournament First Team
Jamie Pickens (6'2''-F) of Carroll, MT
Kassie Monday (5'4''-G) of Cumberlands
Karly Gustafson (6'0''-F) of Dordt
Macy Sievers (5'8''-G) of Dordt
Ashlee Maldonado (5'7''-G) of Providence, MT

NAIA All-Tournament Second Team 2024

McNair

Geritz

Monday1

Schoonhoven

Dixon

Second Team
Mallie McNair (5'8''-G) of Briar Cliff
Maddie Geritz (6'2''-F) of Carroll, MT
Kaylie Monday1 (5'4''-G) of Cumberlands
Janie Schoonhoven (5'10''-F) of Dordt
Maddy Dixon (6'0''-F/C) of Providence, MT

Player of the Year: Jamie Pickens (6'2''-F) of Carroll, MT
Coach of the Year: Bill Harmsen of Dordt

NAIA All-American 1st Team 2024

Wilks

Lee

Pickens

Monday

Walsdorf

First Team
Kaitlynn Wilks (6'2''-F) of Campbellsville
Lauren Lee (5'7''-G) of Campbellsville
Jamie Pickens (6'2''-F) of Carroll, MT
Kassie Monday (5'4''-G) of Cumberlands
Savannah Walsdorf (6'0''-F) of Dakota St.
Macy Sievers (5'8''-G) of Dordt
Lilli Frasure (5'10''-G) of IWU
Ella Collier (6'0''-G) of Marian, IN
Jordan Zrust (6'0''-G) of Mayville St.
Ashlee Maldonado (5'7''-G) of Providence, MT
Grace Beyer (5'8''-PG) of UHSP
Melissa Akullu (6'1''-F-1999) of Vanguard

NAIA All-American Second Team 2024

Sudmann

McDermott

Rushton

Hatcliff

Foy

Carrothers

Second Team
Konnor Sudmann (5'11''-G) of Briar Cliff
Nicole McDermott (5'7''-G) of Clarke
Taysha Rushton (5'5''-G-2002) of CUNE
Mak Hatcliff (5'7''-G) of Doane
Erika Foy (5'11''-F) of Indiana Tech
Jessica Carrothers (5'7''-G) of IU Northwest
Tarrah Stephens (5'11''-F) of John Brown
Callie Stevens (5'6''-G) of LC State
Abbey McNally (6'1''-F) of Marian, IN
Kiara Brown (6'1''-F) of Dublin
Jordan Sweeney (5'7''-G) of UMW
Alana Nelson (6'0''-F/C) of Spring Arbor

NAIA All-American Third Team 2024

Alvarez

Russell

Frank

Horstman

Gustafson

Buckhanon

Third Team
Alyssa Alvarez (5'11''-G) of ACU
Samantha Russell (5'10''-F) of Bryan
Kayley Frank (5'7''-G) of Coll.of the Ozarks
Delaney Horstman (5'11''-F) of Columbia, MO
Karly Gustafson (6'0''-F) of Dordt
Maya Buckhanon (6'3''-PF) of Fisk
Erin Toller (5'7''-G) of Georgetown, KY
Ella Larsen (5'10''-G) of Grand View
Jordan Reid (5'10''-F) of IWU
Tenleigh Phelps (5'11''-F) of IU S.Bend
Sandra Cannady (6'1''-F-2001) of Loyola, LA
Molly Schany (6'1''-F) of Northwestern, IA
Haley Cox (5'8''-G) of Ohio Christian
Olivia Sprague (5'8''-G) of Oregon Tech
Kayla Schroeder (5'8''-G) of Park-Gilbert
Tanea Sims (6'0''-F) of St.Mary's, KS
Bekki Kalaydjiev (5'9''-PG) of Southeastern
Kami Walk (5'11''-F) of S.Oregon
Kayla Williams (5'11''-F) of A&M Texarkana
Megan Nestor (6'4'') of WBU

Player of the Year: Ella Collier (6'0''-G) of Marian
Coach of the Year: Ginger Colvin of Campbellsville

WBCA NAIA All-America Team 2024 All-America Team 2024

Akullu

Beyer

Cannady

Collier

Foy

All-America Team
Melissa Akullu (6'1''-F) of Vanguard
Grace Beyer (5'8''-PG) of UHSP
Sandra Cannady (6'1''-F-2001) of Loyola
Ella Collier (6'0''-G) of Marian
Erika Foy (5'11''-F) of Indiana Tech
Lauren Lee (5'7''-G) of Campbellsville
Nicole McDermott (5'7''-G) of Clarke
Jamie Pickens (6'2''-F) of Carroll
Allie Stone (5'6''-G) of Pikeville
Kaitlynn Wilks (6'2''-F) of Campbellsville

WBCA NAIA All-America Team 2024 Honorable Mention 2024

Boyle

Brown

Carrothers

Clark

Clason

Dial

Honorable Mention
Maddy Boyle (5'6''-G) of Campbellsville
Kiara Brown (6'1''-F) of Menlo
Jessica Carrothers (5'7''-G) of Indiana Northwest
Kaylee Clark (5'9''-F/G) of Williams Baptist
Korynn Clason (5'10''-G) of Sterling
Brooke Dial (5'10''-F) of Waldorf
Lilli Frasure (5'10''-G) of Indiana Wesleyan
Jaycie Jenkins (5'11''-F) of Milligan
Ella Larsen (5'10''-G) of Grand View
Ashlee Maldonado (5'7''-G) of Providence
Madie McCoy (5'11''-G/F) of Tabor
Teionni McDaniel (5'9''-G) of Georgetown
Kassie Monday (5'4''-G) of Cumberlands
Alyvia Owens (5'11''-F) of Tabor
Jordan Reid (5'10''-F) of Indiana Wesleyan
LaMyah Ricks (5'4''-G) of Kansas Wesleyan
Lauren Rowley (5'10''-G) of William Carey
Tarrah Stephens (5'11''-F) of John Brown
Jordan Sweeney (5'7''-G) of Montana - Western
Taylor Thomas (5'4''-G-2000) of Loyola