NAPERVILLE — National visibility, milestone moments and tightening margins defined the previous two weeks of College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women’s basketball play. 
 
Two conference teams remained in the national rankings, veteran leaders reached historic benchmarks and several games were decided in the final seconds as league standings began to take shape. With defensive efficiency, bench depth, and individual consistency emerging as early themes, the first full turn through conference play has provided a clear snapshot of where the race stands entering mid-January.
 
Titans Stay Visible as a Record Falls
The CCIW remains represented in the national rankings, with Illinois Wesleyan (No. 17/20) and Carroll (No. 21/24) holding spots in the latest D3hoops.com and WBCA Top 25 polls. 
 
IWU reinforced its position last Saturday with an 85-52 conference win over Carroll in Bloomington. With the victory, head coach Mia Smith recorded her 296th career CCIW win, surpassing Millikin’s Lori Kerans to become the conference’s all-time winningest coach. 
 
IWU senior guard Sawyer White was named CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday after posting a career-high 37 points against Carroll, tying a school record with eight three-pointers while also recording eight steals. She was also named to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week. Earlier in the week, White became the program’s all-time steals leader during a trip to Florida, and her 305 career steals currently rank second among active NCAA Division III players. 
 
The Titans also secured a 78-76 non-conference win over No. 19 Bethel on Dec. 28, capped by a game-winning backdoor layup from Sara Balli following a pass from Ava Bardic with 1.8 seconds remaining.
 
Augie Continues to Find Edges
Augustana extended its momentum over the previous two weeks, posting a four-game win streak to move to 3-1 in CCIW play. The Vikings earned a 69-68 road win at North Central on Wednesday after a late three-pointer from Jazmeriah Jones, following a half-court buzzer-beater by Kadence Tatum to end the second quarter. 
 
The Vikings also defeated Millikin last Saturday, 63-54. Augie’s defensive consistency remains a defining factor, as they lead the CCIW in scoring defense (57.3 per game), field goal percentage defense (.356), and rebounding margin (+5.9). 
 
Non-conference wins over Loras (54-52) and Dubuque (83-64) rounded out the stretch, highlighted by Cali Papez’s 20-point, 15-rebound double-double against Dubuque.
 
Numbers That Travel
Several CCIW players continue to rank prominently in national statistical categories. Elmhurst guard Kristin Bukata leads Division III in assists per game (7.9) and ranks second nationally with 106 total assists, while also tying for the conference lead with six double-doubles. 
 
Carroll’s Natalie Gricius leads the league in scoring at 21.0 points per game, ranking 10th nationally. Carthage guard Nora Ahram recorded a career-high 21 points on Wednesday against North Park, finishing 7-of-7 from the field and 5-of-5 from three-point range. 
 
As a team, Illinois Wesleyan ranks fourth nationally in free-throw percentage at 79.2%, led by Ava Bardic (.846) and Sawyer White (.879).
 
Veterans Check Boxes
Several veteran players reached career milestones during the opening weeks of conference play. Wheaton senior Kate Oliver became the 23rd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points on Saturday against Chicago, accomplishing the milestone with a first-quarter three-pointer. Oliver followed with a career-high six steals on Wednesday to help Wheaton earn a 66-53 road win at Millikin. 
 
North Central continues to lead the conference in scoring offense at 72.5 points per game and showed resilience last Saturday with a 67-64 comeback win over North Park after trailing by nine in the third quarter. Kennedy Hartwig scored a career-high 18 points in the victory, converting 13-of-17 free throws.
 
Depth Shows Up on the Box Score
Bench production and defensive pressure have played key roles across the league over the previous two weeks. North Central leads CCIW teams in bench points per game at 24.7. 
 
Elmhurst received 20 points from its reserves in a 78-63 win over Carthage last Saturday, shooting 10-of-14 in the second quarter. 
 
Carroll held off Elmhurst on Wednesday, 88-83, after building a 30-point third-quarter lead, despite 20 bench points from Elmhurst’s Ella Conyers. 
 
Defensively, Carthage leads the conference in blocks per game (4.07), anchored by Malia Green and Taelor Paulsen, and forced 20 points off turnovers against North Park on Wednesday
 
Carryover from December
Individual consistency and late non-conference results provided momentum entering the heart of league play. Millikin’s Nikkel Johnson leads the conference in field goal percentage among high-volume shooters at 56.7% and recorded a 14-point, 11-rebound double-double against Wheaton on Wednesday. 
 
North Park earned a 63-41 non-conference win over Beloit on Dec. 30 behind 22 points from Aliyah Hershberger. 
 
Carthage closed the 2025 calendar year with a 78-52 road win at Luther on Dec. 30, recording 21 assists with just five turnovers.