Caroline Peper, a senior from NYU, has been named a finalist in basketball for the DIII Honda Athlete of the Year, as announced today by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) presented by Honda. Peper becomes the third consecutive NYU women’s basketball student-athlete to be named a finalist for Athlete of the Year.

The announcement comes during a landmark moment for the organization, as the CWSA celebrates its 50th anniversary during the 2025–26 collegiate athletics season. Peper is now among 11 elite finalists for this prestigious award, which recognizes the top NCAA Division II athletes across various sports. The DIII Honda Athlete of the Year will be selected by senior women administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools and will be honored during a live broadcast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, July 27th, at 7:00 pm ET, in New York City.

“I am truly honored to be nominated for this award among several impressive fellow athletes and having the opportunity to represent NYU and all of Division III women's basketball,” said Peper. “I'm grateful to my coaches, teammates, and family for the support throughout my career.”

Peper was named the 2026 WBCA Player of the Year after also earning University Athletic Association (UAA) Player of the Year honors and D3hoops.com Region IV Player of the Year recognition.

The guard set a program record with 112 three-pointers made and climbed to ninth on the program’s all-time scoring list, finishing her career with 1,432 points.

A native of South Easton, Massachusetts, she is a two-time First Team All-UAA selection and a two-time D3hoops.com All-Region First Team honoree.

Off the court, Peper has been recognized for her academic excellence as a member of the UAA Presidents Council Scholar-Athlete Team and a two-time UAA Winter All-Academic selection.

“Between National Championships, national recognition and plenty of wins, Caroline has had an enviable career by all accounts,” said head coach Meg Barber. “But what is truly most special about her time at NYU is the impact she has left on the people in our program and within the NYU community. She has excelled as a student-athlete in the truest sense of the word. She consistently prioritized a disciplined approach to give her best effort in balancing the rigors of being a Mathematics major at NYU while simultaneously leading her team to national prominence. What she has done for NYU women's basketball and NYU Athletics will be etched in the record books forever and I feel extremely fortunate to have coached her for four years!”

Now in its 50th year, the CWSA continues to honor the nation’s top female collegiate athletes for excellence in athletics, leadership, academics, and community service. Since partnering with Honda in 1986, the program has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants, strengthening and advancing women’s athletics programs nationwide.

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility and the Honda USA Foundation 

For more than 65 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. The company’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering an inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community.  

Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.