SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced the 2022-23 women’s basketball postseason awards Tuesday. Selections include the coaches’ all-conference teams and specialty awards in addition to the Southern Conference Sports Media Association all-conference teams and awards.
Wofford’s Rachael Rose was tabbed player of the year by the coaches, while Samford’s Andrea Bailey was named player of the year by the media. Chattanooga’s Raven Thompson was voted freshman of the year by both the coaches and the media. ETSU first-year head coach Brenda Mock Brown was voted coach of the year by the coaches. Wofford head coach Jimmy Garrity, in his seventh season with the Terriers, was voted coach of the year by the media.
Mercer forward Summah Evans was named defensive player of the year by the coaches and Western Carolina’s Kyla Allison was the winner of the Ann Lashley Inspiration Award.
The 2023 Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Championship begins Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at noon ET and will be televised on ESPN+ and select Nexstar affiliates.
Coaches All-Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Teams
Player of the Year
Rachael Rose, So., G, Wofford
Freshman of the Year
Raven Thompson, F, Chattanooga
Defensive Player of the Year
Summah Evans, Jr., F, Mercer
Coach of the Year
Brenda Mock Brown, ETSU
Ann Lashley Inspiration Award Winner
Kyla Allison, Gr., G, Western Carolina
First team
Jiselle Thomas, Gr., ETSU
Amoria Neal-Tysor, Gr., Mercer
Andrea Bailey, Sr., Samford
Yazz Wazeerud-Din, Gr., Chattanooga
Rachael Rose, So., Wofford
Second team
Kendall Folley, So., ETSU
Grace van Rij, Gr., Furman
Raven Thompson, Fr., Chattanooga
Kyla Allison, Gr., Western Carolina
Jackie Carman, 5th, Wofford
All-defensive team
Kendall Folley, So., ETSU
Summah Evans, Jr., Mercer
Khalis Cain, Jr., UNCG
Andrea Bailey, Sr., Samford
Helen Matthews, Jr., Wofford
All-freshman team
Jaelyn Acker, Furman
Enjulina Gonzalez, Mercer
Raven Thompson, Chattanooga
Carly Heidger, Samford
Masyn Marchbanks, Samford
SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) All-Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Teams
Player of the Year
Andrea Bailey, Sr., G, Samford
Freshman of the Year
Raven Thompson, F, Chattanooga
Coach of the Year
Jimmy Garrity, Wofford
First team
Jiselle Thomas, Gr., ETSU
Amoria Neal-Tysor, Gr., Mercer
Andrea Bailey, Sr., Samford
Yazz Wazeerud-Din, Gr., Chattanooga
Rachael Rose, So., Wofford
Second team
Kendall Folley, So., ETSU
Grace van Rij, Gr., Furman
Akira Wiggins, Gr., UNCG
Raven Thompson, Fr., Chattanooga
Jackie Carman, 5th, Wofford
Third team
Erin Houpt, G, Mercer
Khalis Cain, UNCG
Sussy Ngulefac, So., Samford
Kyla Allison, Gr., Western Carolina
Lilly Hatton, Sr., Wofford
All-freshman team
Journee McDaniel, ETSU
Jaelyn Acker, Furman
Enjulina Gonzalez, Mercer
Raven Thompson, Chattanooga
Masyn Marchbanks, Samford
Notes
- Rachael Rose is Wofford’s first SoCon Player of the Year since Jenny Nett was the coaches’ pick in 2001-02, making her the first Terrier in 21 years to earn player of the year honors.
- Andrea Bailey won player of the year for the second time in her career as she was voted player of the year by the coaches and media in 2020-21
- Raven Thompson is Chattanooga’s fifth freshman of the year and the first since Eboni Williams in 2018-19
- On the heels of Shannon Titus winning the defensive player of the year award three consecutive years, Summah Evans secured the award for Mercer for a fourth straight year.
- Brenda Mock Brown is the third coach of the Buccaneers to be named coach of the year and the first since 1994-95, when Karen Kemp received the honor. Mock won Big South coach of the year in 2015-16 as the head coach of UNC Asheville.
- Jimmy Garrity is the first coach to be named coach of the year for the Terriers. Garrity led Wofford to its first regular-season title in the program’s history
- Andrea Bailey has been a first-team selection for three straight seasons after transferring from Louisiana following the 2019-20 season
- Since joining the league in 2014, Mercer has had at least one member on the all-conference first team each year.
- The coaches and media had the same five players on their respective first teams. The groups had four players in common on the second teams, with the coaches choosing Western Carolina’s Kyla Allison and the media including UNCG’s Akira Wiggins.
- All eight league teams were represented on the coaches and media teams.
