Fayta, Washington Earn MVC Scholar-Athlete Team Honors

ST. LOUIS – Illinois State sophomore standouts Trista Fayta and Doneelah Washington were each voted to the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Team on Tuesday.

Fayta, a sophomore from Green Bay, Wisconsin, holds a 4.0 cumulative GPA in Business Administration at Illinois State. She started all 31 games at the point for the Redbirds, leading the MVC in assists (184) and assists per game (5.9) while ranking third on the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game. She ranks No. 12 in the NCAA in assists and No. 13 in assists per game, and has five games this season with 10 or more assists, which ranks ninth in Division I and leads all MVC players. Fayta has recorded three double-doubles on the year, including a career-best 26 point, 10-rebound effort last time out against Bradley, and became the first Redbird to record a triple-double since 1991 (Tami Baalke) when she scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists in a win over Valparaiso.

Washington, a sophomore from Lincoln, Nebraska, holds a 3.75 cumulative GPA in Recreation and Sport Management at Illinois State. She has done it all for the Redbirds, leading the team in points per game (16.5), rebounds per game (8.7), steals (60) and blocks (52). Washington has posted 11 double-doubles on the year, including a career-high 31-point, 12-rebound effort in a win over Belmont. She ranks in the top 10 in the MVC in scoring (7th – 16.5 pgg), rebounding (4th – 8.7 rpg), field goal percentage (5th – .503), blocks (2nd – 52), and steals (2nd – 60). 

The criteria for the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team voting parallels the CSC (College Sports Communicators) standards for Academic All-America nominations. To be nominated, a student-athlete must have a 3.50 cumulative GPA, both as an undergraduate and graduate student, where applicable. If a GPA has not been established as a transfer student, the cumulative GPA from the nominees' previous institution must be used. Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore in academic and athletic standing. Redshirt freshmen are not eligible. Eligible nominees must compete in at least 75 percent of the regular season OR must start in at least 50 percent of the institution's games.

Illinois State has earned the No. 3 seed in the 2026 Credit Union 1 MVC Women's Basketball Tournament at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. The Redbirds will play the winner of the opening-round matchup between Drake and Valparaiso in the quarterfinals on Friday, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday, March 13.

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