On Tuesday, the SEC announced its women’s basketball awards, and, unsurprisingly, the South Carolina basketball team racked up the hardware. Despite tallying ten total awards, one can argue that the Gamecocks actually were underrepresented.
Head Coach Dawn Staley (and her undefeated record) was the clear choice to win Coach of the Year. This was Staley’s sixth SEC Coach of the Year selection. Kim Mulkey at LSU was a deserving candidate, but Dawn Staley is on a different level than every other coach in the country. She is also a candidate for the National Coach of the Year award.
Aliyah Boston, a candidate for the three National Player of the Year awards (women’s John R. Wooden award, women’s Naismith College Player of the Year award, and the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association Wade Trophy) given annually to the women’s college basketball National Player of the Year, was selected as the SEC’s Player of the Year. She also won the Defensive Player of the Year award and is one of the favorites to win the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award. Boston has won FOUR STRAIGHT SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and two straight SEC Player of the Year awards. She was also named to the first-team All-SEC team and to the Defensive All-SEC team.
Zia Cooke led the team in scoring this season, and that offensive production allowed her to join Boston as a first-team All-SEC selection. Kamilla Cardoso was voted as the 6th Woman of the Year in the conference and was picked as a second-team All-SEC team member; she is a candidate for the National 6th Woman of the Year award, too. Brea Beal, one of the conference’s best overall defenders, was finally selected to represent South Carolina on the Defensive All-SEC team. Raven Johnson was picked to be on the Freshman All-SEC team.
The full list of awards:
Individual Season Awards
Coach of the Year: Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Player of the Year: Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
6th Woman of the Year: Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Freshman of the Year: Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Hannah Barber, Alabama
First Team All-SEC Team
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Brittany Davis, Alabama
Alexis Morris, LSU
Angel Reese, LSU
Angel Baker, Ole Miss
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Second Team All-SEC Team
Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Erryn Barnum, Arkansas
Aicha Coulibaly, Auburn
Diamond Battles, Georgia
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State
Hayley Frank, Missouri
Ciaja Harbison, Vanderbilt
Freshman All-SEC Team
Raven Johnson, South Carolina
Saylor Poffenbarger, Arkansas
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
Sa’Myah Smith, LSU
Debreasha Powe, Mississippi State
Ashton Judd, Missouri
Janiah Barker, Texas A&M
Sydney Bowles, Texas A&M
Defensive All-SEC Team
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Brea Beal, South Carolina
Diamond Battles, Georgia
Angel Reese, LSU
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Jessika Carter, Mississippi State