Wisconsin's O'Brien wins Patty Kazmaier as top NCAA women's player

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Wisconsin forward Casey O’Brien has been named the winner of the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top player in women’s Division I college hockey.

The award was announced Saturday as part of the NCAA Women’s Frozen Four.

O’Brien, 23, is the sixth player from the school to win the Kazmaier. She is by far the nation’s leading scorer, with 88 points on 26 goals and 62 assists through her first 40 games this season.

The Milton, Massachusetts, native has led the Badgers to a third consecutive trip to the championship game — all against Ohio State. She and Wisconsin are 37-1-2 and are one win away from their third title in five years.

Teammates Laila Edwards and Caroline Harvey were the other finalists. The award is selected by a 13-person committee made up of coaches, media members and a representative of USA Hockey.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey