Overview
- All three finalists were members of Team USA’s 2026 Olympic gold medal squad, though award guidelines instruct voters not to consider national‑team play.
- Wisconsin’s Caroline Harvey, the WCHA Player and Defender of the Year, leads all defenders in scoring with 61 points in 30 games and would become only the third defender ever to win the award.
- Minnesota’s Abbey Murphy, the WCHA Forward of the Year, set a single‑season high with 38 goals, became the Gophers’ all‑time goals leader at 141, and leads the nation in goals and points per game.
- Penn State’s Tessa Janecke, the program’s first top‑three finalist, captured AHA Player of the Year for a third straight season and led the conference with 45 points in 29 games as the Nittany Lions earned a No. 3 NCAA seed.
- NCAA coaches voted on the top 10, and a 13‑member committee selected the final three, with all finalists set to compete as the NCAA Women’s Tournament begins Thursday.