Wisconsin's Casey O'Brien Named 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award Winner

University of Wisconsin Badgers forward Casey O'Brien is the 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award winner. O'Brien led NCAA Division 1 hockey in scoring this season.

Earlier in the day she was named a First Team All-American before receiving the Patty Kazmaier, as NCAA women's hockey's best player.

This season O'Brien set a new Wisconsin single season scoring record recording her 88th point of the year in the Frozen Four semi-final. She also became the University of Wisconsin's new all-time leading scorer passing Hilary Knight.

O'Brien and the Wisconsin Badgers won the WCHA title and were the top ranked team in NCAA women's hockey from start to finish. For her performance, O'Brien was also named the WCHA Player of the Year and WCHA Forward of the Year.

A 2025 PWHL Draft prospect, O'Brien is considered a probably first round pick. 

The past 11 winners of the NCAA's Patty Kazmaier Award currently play in the PWHL including 2023 first overall pick Taylor Heise, national team members like Aerin Frankel, Alex Carpenter, and Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Canadian national team members including Ann-Renee Desbiens, Daryl Watts, and Sophie Jaques.