A dominant season for the Yellowjackets was led by one talented athlete who propelled her team to a national title. Macaya Copeland of Rochester Community and Technical College has been named the 2025 NJCAA DIII Women’s Basketball Player of the Year.
Copeland has been a part of Rochester Women’s Basketball for two seasons now. In her freshman year, she earned First Team All-America honors as she led her team to a second-place finish in the 2024 National Championship. In 2025, Copeland was a force for the Yellowjackets. Her dominant performance all season long helped to bring the third national title in program history to Rochester. Copeland led her team in many categories all season long. She led in total points with 457 and in points per game with 17.6. She averaged 2.8 steals per game and 3.7 assists per game. From her first year to her second, Copeland has made steady statistical jumps in her performance.
Still leading the pack in 2024, her points-per-game margin jumped 1.3 points in 2025. She is a consistent and reliable asset to the Yellowjackets that has been vital to their success on the court.”Caya has been a blessing to this program from the moment she stepped foot on our campus. Her hard work and dedication to this team have led to a lot of success for her and for this program. I am very proud of Caya. I am so happy for her to be recognized in this way,” said Jason Bonde, RCTC Head Coach. The sophomore guard from Minnetonka, MN ended the year as an NJCAA DIII Women’s Basketball First Team All-American selection. Copeland was named as one of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference Players of the Year. She was also selected as an MCAC Women’s Basketball All-Region 13 member alongside teammate Kara Goetzinger.
Personal
- Position: Guard
- Class: Sophomore
- Hometown: Minnetonka, MN
- High School: Hopkins High School
2024-25 Statistics
- 17.6 PPG
- 3.5 Rebounds Per Game
- FG – 187-423
- 96 Assists
- 73 Steals
2024-25 Accomplishments
- 2025 NJCAA Division III Women’s Basketball First-Team All-America Selection
- 2025 MCAC All-Region 13 Selection
- 2025 MCAC Player of the Year
Text courtesy of: https://www.njcaa.org/general/2024-25/releases/20250411ho6m65.