Welcome to the fourth installment of our series spotlighting each of the five finalists for the 2026 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year. Each day this week, we will publish a spotlight on one finalist for this year’s award, introducing you to each of these spectacular players.
Monday- Adrianna Smith, Maine
Tuesday- Avery Koenen, North Dakota State
Yesterday – Maggie Doogan, Richmond
Today- Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State
Tomorrow- Mia Nicastro, Western Illinois
Brooklyn Meyer (31) shoots against North Dakota State in the Summit League Tournament championship game. (Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media)
Brooklyn Meyer grew up with Jackrabbit basketball on her television.
While the great players in South Dakota State history took to the Frost Arena floor, Meyer was tuned in. She looked up to program greats like Myah Selland as she watched Aaron Johnston lead his program to success.
Meyer arrived in Brookings, S.D., in Selland’s final season, representing a changing of the guard in great post players. In her senior season, Meyer fully cemented her legacy by winning a fourth straight conference tournament championship.
“I just feel like I don’t really have any regrets in my career,” Meyer said. “It has just worked out exactly how it was supposed to.”
Brooklyn Meyer (31) drives to the basket against South Dakota. (Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media)
Meyer valued loyalty in her recruitment process, and Johnston presented that. South Dakota State recruited the Larchwood, Iowa, product before any other program and held Meyer’s best interests at heart.
“One of the things I really appreciated about them was that they wanted me to still go on other visits and see what was out there before I made my decision,” Meyer said. “I always felt like SDSU had a great plan for me.”
When it came time to decide, the program’s winning culture and its geographic location made being a Jackrabbit the right fit. She dove right into a strong team culture when she first arrived at fall practice, confident that she had found the right fit.
During her freshman season, Meyer played behind Selland as the two-time Hammon Award finalist finished her legendary career. The environment created the perfect opportunity for the budding star to develop.
“She had to learn to play against great players every day, see how they did their daily process and learn from some really good ones,” Johnston said. “It took a lot of the pressure off of her as a freshman. She didn’t have to go out there and carry a team, which she had to do in high school for so many years.”
Meyer got in all 35 games that season, averaging 12.5 minutes per contest. She scored 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, reaching double-digit points on six occasions. The season provided the groundwork for Meyer to step up on her own and become a leader.
Brooklyn Meyer (31) prepares to be introduced ahead of a game. (Evan Patzwald/South Dakota State athletics)
Meyer spent time after her freshman year working on her game. Over the summer, she worked with associate head coach Sadie Thramer and assistant coach Shelby Selland to come back in the best shape possible for a year where she would shoulder more responsibility.
With Selland gone and Meyer a year into her college career, the budding sophomore became the team’s leader. She led South Dakota State with 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, registering nine double-doubles and earning Summit League Player of the Year honors.
South Dakota State experienced injury troubles that season, and pressure on Meyer only intensified. She rose to the occasion and brought the Jackrabbits to the NCAA Tournament, presenting an early payoff for Johnston’s belief.
“Myself and other players in my class really had to step into big roles really fast,” Meyer said. “I think just kind of getting thrown out there a little bit, especially my sophomore year, really helped get me used to that and helped me develop.”
Meyer’s junior season was more of the same, a 17.0-point, 5.9-rebound season that saw her named a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American. She started every game for the Jackrabbits and scored 19 points in her team’s first-round win against Oklahoma State in the NCAA Tournament.
Brooklyn Meyer celebrates with her South Dakota State teammates after winning the 2026 Summit League Tournament championship. (Ben Helland/South Dakota State athletics)
When the leaves turned again and Meyer’s senior season began, the year represented Meyer’s last chance to play in Brookings, S.D., and her last opportunity to play college basketball.
More importantly, the season represented her last chance to play on the team she helped build using the leadership lessons learned from the greats that came before.
“She doesn’t carry herself with an ego, and so people are just drawn to Brooklyn because of the kind of person she is,” Johnston said. “She’s very caring, she’s incredibly driven…Some leaders always lead vocally, just talking and pushing people, some by example. Brooklyn has the ability to do both.”
Meyer’s leadership style stems from the connection she has with her teammates. Because she checks her ego at the door, Meyer earned the respect of those around her.
“When you’re best friends with someone, it’s a lot easier to call them out for something or push them to be better,” Meyer said. “I feel like that’s been reciprocated back to me as well in my career.”
Individually, Meyer enjoyed her best season. Her 22.6 points per game ranked ninth nationally in an outstanding offensive season that also saw her rank third in field-goal percentage (64.6 percent). To put those numbers into perspective, Alysha Clark is the only other mid-major player since the 2009-10 season to average 20+ points on better than 60 percent from the field.
Meyer’s best games came against the best competition. In the season opener against Creighton, Meyer scored 33 points to lead the Jackrabbits to a win. She scored 20 points against Texas and 27 against Duke.
Among the South Dakota State greats, Meyer sets herself apart by the consistency with which she has played against the top teams. When faced with a challenge against power-conference opponents, she rises above and still performs.
“What makes her good in our Summit League doesn’t change when we go play against power fours,” Johnston said.
Like the true greats, Meyer performed in March. She started her Summit League Tournament showing with a 26-point game against Kansas City before adding 24 more in the semifinal against South Dakota. In the league championship game against North Dakota State, Meyer scored 26 points to beat the Bison and earn her fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
For Meyer, a major team accomplishment was the best way to cap off her career. Her resume showcases the best of what made her great and is a testament to South Dakota State’s legacy, which she continued to build alongside Johnston and her teammates.
Meyer leaves Brookings, S.D., a 2,000-point scorer, the program’s all-time leader in career field-goal percentage, and a four-time Summit League Tournament champion. Meyer grew up watching South Dakota State legends and played with one in Selland. Now, they stand together among the greatest to ever put on a Jackrabbit uniform.
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