MADISON, Wis. – After leading the WCHA in scoring this season, Wisconsin women's hockey sophomore Kirsten Simms has been named the 2024 WCHA Player of the Year, the league announced on Thursday. A Badger has now claimed the league's top honor in four of the last six seasons.

Simms is the ninth Badger to earn WCHA Player of the Year overall, joining the likes of Sara Bauer (2006, 2007), Hilary Knight (2009), Meghan Duggan (2011), Brianna Decker (2012), Ann-Renee Desbiens (2016), Annie Pankowski (2019), Abby Roque (2020) and Daryl Watts (2021). 

A native of Plymouth, Michigan, Simms leads all NCAA skaters in scoring this year with 67 points, thanks to 29 goals and 38 assists. Her 67 points currently rank 10th on UW's all-time single-season scoring list. Simms is one goal away from becoming the sixth player in school history to rack up 30 goals in a single season while her 38 helpers rank 10th in the UW record books. 

The sophomore has enjoyed multi-point efforts in 21 of the 34 games she has suited up for Wisconsin and has been clutch with eight game-winning goals. Her eight game winners not only lead the WCHA but rank second in the country.

Thursday's honor caps off an impressive array of awards that Simms has received in the last week as she was named a top-10 finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, was recognized as the WCHA Forward of the Year and also was selected as a first-team All-WCHA honoree. 

Simms and the second-ranked Badgers hit the road to the Twin Cities to take on Minnesota in the 2024 Kwik Trip WCHA Final Faceoff on Friday. Puck drop at Ridder Arena is set for 4:30 p.m. and fans can watch the action in Madison on the TV-W or listen to the game on The Game 1070 AM.