Bethel University Women’s Basketball

Three Lady Wildcats. Three All-Americans. One special season Bethel University placed three players among the NAIA’s 36 All-Americans as Micah Hart (1st Team), Mikee Buchanan (2nd Team), and Madison Hart (3rd Team) were recognized among the nation’s best by the NAIA Women’s Basketball All-America Committee. Only 12 players are selected to each team, making this a huge national honor and a reflection of the work this group put in all season. Three difference makers. Three competitors. Three Lady Wildcats representing Bethel on the national stage. #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #BethelU #GMOM @PlayNAIA

Two of the nation’s best. Period. Micah Hart and Mikee Buchanan have been named WBCA NAIA Coaches’ All-Americans, an honor awarded to just 10 players nationally as selected by coaches for their performance, impact on their team, success, and character throughout the season. Also, Bethel University is the only team to have 2 players recognized in this prestigious 10 player award. BETHEL FOREVERMORE! Built through preparation. Proven in big moments. Recognized among the best in the country. 💜🏀 #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #BethelU #GMOM @NAIA

The Queen’s Legacy: Thank You, Madison Hart Some players put up numbers. Some players win games. Some players lead. And then there are the rare few who change what a program expects from the name on the front of the jersey. Madison Hart did all of it. Around Bethel Women's Basketball, she earned a nickname that says everything you need to know: The Queen. Not because she asked for it. Not because she demanded attention. But because of the way she carried herself, the way she battled every night, and the way she set a standard that others naturally wanted to follow. Her career was never about moments of recognition. It was about consistency. About showing up. About doing the work when nobody was watching. For four seasons and 116 games, Madison was not just part of the program. She was the foundation of it. She finished her career with: • 1,761 career points • 46.4% career field goal percentage • 81.3% career free throw percentage • 760 career rebounds • 196 career assists • 69 career blocks • 3,623 total minutes played • 116 games played But the numbers only tell part of the story. What they do not show is the physical style she played with every night. The way she fought for position. The way she controlled the glass. The way she absorbed contact and still finished. The way she played through pain, fatigue, and pressure without ever making excuses. They do not show the leadership. They do not show the voice in huddles. The encouragement after tough possessions. The accountability she demanded because she held herself to the same standard first. They do not show the example she set for younger players learning what it means to wear Bethel across their chest. They do not show how much trust her coaches had in her. Or how much confidence her teammates felt simply because she was on the floor. Madison's 760 rebounds tell you about effort. Her 81 percent free throw shooting tells you about discipline. Her 3,623 minutes played tells you how much she was depended on. Her 116 games tells you how consistently she showed up. Her steady production year after year tells you about commitment. But what made her special was something harder to measure. Presence. When Madison Hart walked on the floor, Bethel knew it had a chance. When games got physical, she leaned into it. When moments got big, she did not disappear. When the season demanded toughness, she delivered it. She was not just productive. She was dependable. And every great team needs someone like that. To the fans, she was a warrior in the paint. To her teammates, she was stability. To the coaches, she was reliability. To the program, she became part of the standard future players will now be measured against. That is what real leadership looks like. The nickname The Queen will live on because it represents more than her game. It represents the way she helped build this era of Bethel Women's Basketball. The culture. The expectations. The belief that Bethel belongs on the national stage. Players like Madison do not just graduate. They leave fingerprints on everything. And years from now when new players are diving on the floor, fighting for rebounds, and learning what it means to compete the Bethel way, part of that standard will trace back to #24. So this is not just a thank you for the points. Not just a thank you for the rebounds. Not just a thank you for the wins. This is a thank you for the standard. Thank you for the toughness. Thank you for the leadership. Thank you for the example. Thank you for the way you represented Bethel Women's Basketball. Programs move forward because of players like you. Long live The Queen. 👑 @NAIA

Onto The Next doesn't always mean another game. Sometimes it means taking what you built… what you fought for… what you became… and carrying it forward. Setting the standard. Proud of this team. Proud of this fight. Proud of this season. The story doesn't end here. It just turns the page. 82-77. A fight until the final horn. 35 from Micah. 21 from Mikee. Some seasons are remembered for banners. Some are remembered for heart. This team will be remembered for both. The scoreboard says this season ends here. The standard they set does not. Thank you Madison. What an incredible run. That's a wrap from Sioux City. #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #GMOM #BattleForTheRedBanner @NAIA

It is March... Are You Ready? 🎥 Tip-Off at 6:00PM #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #OntoTheNext #GMOM #BattleForTheRedBanner @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Day 4. Quarterfinal mindset. Walk-throughs. Communication. Confidence. Final details before another March test. No wasted reps. No wasted words. Just a team locked in on the moment and each other. Preparation today. Opportunity tonight. 💜🏀 #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #OntoTheNext #GMOM #BattleForTheRedBanner @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Day 4 starts where championships are built. Film. Details. Tendencies. Adjustments. Preparation. Long before the ball goes up at 6pm, the Lady Wildcats are already locked in on what it takes to survive and advance. March rewards the teams willing to prepare just a little more. The work continues. 💜🏀 #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #OntoTheNext #GMOM #BattleForTheRedBanner #filmframes brought to you by Taylor Stuckey - Shelter Insurance @playnaia @naia

GAMEDAY. #1 Bethel vs #2 Dakota Wesleyan Final Four on the line in Sioux City. Two elite defenses. Two championship mindsets. One survives. 🕕 Tipoff: 6:00 PM (CT) 📊 Live Stats: bethel.prestosports.com/sports/wbkb/20… 📺 Watch Live: urbanedgenetwork.net/?school=naia-c… 📍 Watch Party: Pull up and watch with Wildcat fans at The Happy Book Stack 💜🏀 March is about preparation. March is about toughness. March is about moments like this. #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #OntoTheNext #GMOM #BattleForTheRedBanner @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Dub Frames 📸 #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #OntoTheNext #GMOM #BattleForTheRedBanner @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Clock It. 🤏🏽 #BattleForTheRedBanner #NAIA #LockItIn #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Heavyweight matchup incoming. #1 Bethel (28-5) vs #2 Dakota Wesleyan (27-6) Final Four on the line in Sioux City. 📊 By the numbers: Bethel: 73.5 PPG | 60.0 Opp PPG 44% FG | 34% from three Built on guard play and defense. Dakota Wesleyan: 79.1 PPG | 57.7 Opp PPG 46% FG | 42.2 RPG Size, rebounding, and balance. Strength vs strength. Guards vs size. Execution vs physicality. March decides everything. 🕕 6 PM #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #OntoTheNext #GMOM #BattleForTheRedBanner @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Final: Bethel 78 | Lewis-Clark State 70 Advance & #OntoTheNext. 🏀 The Lady Wildcats are Quarterfinals (8 Teams) bound after a hard-fought Round of 16 win in Sioux City. Bethel controlled the glass (52-36), won the second-chance battle, and made the plays that mattered in March. 🔥 Mikee Buchanan led the way with 25 💪 Madison Hart dominated inside with 20 points and 15 boards ⚡ MJ Simmons added 13 🎯 Big free throws down the stretch sealed it #BattleForTheRedBanner #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #OntoTheNext #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA

At the half from the Round of 16 in Sioux City, Iowa. #battlefortheredbanner #naia #therightwaytoplay #lockitin #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA

GET UP LADY WILDCAT NATION ITS GAMEDAY! #lockitin #battlefortheredbanner #naia #therightwaytoplay #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA

The #1 Bethel Lady Wildcats take the floor tomorrow morning in the NAIA National Championship Round of 16 in Sioux City, Iowa with a trip to the Quarterfinals on the line. 🕚 Game Time: 11:00 AM 📺 Watch: naia.org/watch 📺 Stream: urbanedgenetwork.net/?school=naia-c… 📊 Live Stats: bethel.prestosports.com/sports/wbkb/20… March moments. March focus. March opportunity. #LockItIn #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #BattleForTheRedBanner #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA

#lockitin ☑️ Practice Frames brought to you by Taylor Stuckey - Shelter Insurance Thank you Bishop Heelan for allowing us to use your facility. #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #BattleForTheRedBanner #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA

A special night in Sioux City. 💜🏀 Bethel Women’s Basketball attended the NAIA Student-Athlete Banquet where Ada Koelling was recognized as one of just 16 student-athletes in the nation to receive the prestigious Champions of Character Award, representing the values that define Bethel basketball. The team also signed a basketball that will be presented to Bethel’s Sioux City host sponsors as a thank you for their hospitality during the national tournament. A great evening of fellowship, finger foods, and celebrating what makes the NAIA special — character, community, and competition. Proud of the way these Lady Wildcats represent McKenzie on and off the floor. 💜 #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #BethelU #Gmom @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Day 1 practice in the books. 🏀💜 The Lady Wildcats got their first work in at Siouxland Sports Academy as preparation continues for the Round of 16. Focused. Locked in. Business trip mentality. March is about preparation… and Bethel is ready. #LockItIn Practice Frames brought to you by Taylor Stuckey - Shelter Insurance #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #BethelU #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Day 1 in Sioux City was bigger than basketball. 💜🏀 The Bethel Lady Wildcats proudly represented McKenzie, Tennessee today as NAIA teams partnered with Special Olympics through the Champions of Character - Teaming Up For Character initiative — showing what it truly means to be servant leaders. This is what Bethel basketball is about: impact, inclusion, and using the game to serve others first. Proud to wear the purple and represent something bigger than the game. 💜 #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #BethelU #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA

Some of the best stories don’t start with a recorder or a formal interview. Sometimes they start with a simple conversation. On the long bus ride to Sioux City, a conversation between Bethel head coach Chris Nelson and team content creator Emmett Slone about past tournament teams, program growth, and what makes this year’s group different naturally turned into something more. A reflection on the journey of Bethel University women’s basketball and the mindset required to win in March. For Nelson, trips like this are no longer new. But this team, he believes, has something different. “This group just has a different level of belief,” Nelson said. “They trust each other, they trust preparation, and they genuinely enjoy competing together. That’s what you hope for as a coach.” >>> Visit Full Article: facebook.com/share/p/1CfSp9… #TheRightWayToPlay #NAIA #BethelU #OntoTheNext #GMOM @PlayNAIA @NAIA