Marian’s Ella Collier Named 2023-24 WBCA NAIA National Player of the Year
ATLANTA, Ga. – For the third time in Marian women’s basketball program history and for the second consecutive year, a Marian Knight has been named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NAIA National Player of the Year, as Ella Collier was named the recipient for the second consecutive year Tuesday afternoon. As WBCA Player of the Year, Collier will headline the WBCA NAIA All-American Team, an All-American honor she has earned for four consecutive seasons.
“The WBCA is pleased to once again name Ella Collier as the WBCA NAIA Player of the Year,” said WBCA Executive Director Danielle M. Donehew. “She is most deserving of this distinguished honor. The WBCA applauds Ella for her hard work, dedication and contributions to the game during the 2023-24 season.”
Collier, a senior from Danville, Indiana, was named the Crossroads League Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, helping lead the Marian women’s basketball team to the NAIA National Tournament Final Site for the fourth year as a member of the team. Collier, the WBCA Player of the Year in 2023, becomes the first player in Marian women’s basketball history to earn the honor twice, and claims the third honor from Marian as Imani Guy is the only other Knight to receive the award.
Collier became Marian’s leading scorer in 2023-24, as the senior became the program’s all-time leader on February 3 in a win over Taylor. The Danville product enters the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 with 2221 career points, and is Marian’s all-time leader in made three-point field goals, made free throws, free throw percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and ranks top-10 all-time in field goal percentage, assists, steals, and minutes played.
In her senior season, Collier has put up career-highs in points per game (19.0), point (627), and steals (57), leading the team in each category. Collier also leads the Knights in assists with 82 on the season, and has put up 3.8 rebounds per game. The senior is only player in the NAIA to shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 90 percent from the foul line, and is on pace to end her career with four consecutive seasons at a 50/40/90 clip. Collier is the top shooter from the foul line in the NAIA this season, in both men’s and women’s basketball.
Marian will take on Jamestown in the NAIA Tournament Round of 16 on Thursday, March 21 at 2:00 p.m.
Collier is a three-time NAIA All-American, and a soon to be four-time NAIA All-American after being named to the WBCA NAIA All-American Team for the fourth consecutive season.