OKLAHOMA CITY – Kaylee Edgemon from Wayland Baptist became Sooner Athletic Conference women's basketball player of the year for the second year in a row.
The SAC awarded defensive player of the year to Southwestern Christian's Thamires Andrade, while Texas Wesleyan came away with newcomer of the year (Kertisa Amos), freshman of the year (Zarria Carter) and the John Hudson coach of the year (Brenita Jackson).
The conference's first sixth woman of the year went to Abby Bird of Mid-America Christian, and North Texas Dallas' Mykayla Dumas took the sportsmanship award. The SAC also named all-defensive and all-freshman teams for the first time in league history.
Edgemon propelled the Flying Queens, ranked eighth in the NAIA, to their third consecutive SAC regular-season championship with 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds a contest and percentages of 53.9 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from beyond the 3-point line in 2021-22. She rates third nationally with 241 field goals and 10th with 575 points. Edgemon turned in two 30-point performances, including a career-high 35 against Oklahoma City University on Feb. 5 in Plainview, Texas.
Edgemon, a 5-foot-11 senior from Littlefield, Texas, became the eighth woman to repeat as SAC player of the year with Daniela Wallen of Oklahoma City being the last two-time SAC player of the year (2016 and '17). Edgemon collected her fourth all-conference nod, third first-team all-SAC accolade and SAC player of the week for Nov. 1-7, which accounted for her third career weekly honor from the league.
Amos, a 5-9 junior from Burleson, Texas, produced 16.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.12 steals per game. She grabbed SAC player of the week for Nov. 29-Dec. 5. Amos delivered season highs with 33 points against Southwestern Christian on Dec. 4 and 16 rebounds vs. Wayland Baptist on Feb. 10.
Carter provided the Lady Rams with 16.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.70 thefts a game with 52.1 percent shooting from the field. Carter, a 6-1 freshman from Mansfield, Texas, had season highs with 24 points against Wayland Baptist on Feb. 12 and 20 rebounds at Huston-Tillotson (Texas) on Nov. 23.
Andrade garnered SAC defensive player of the year for the second consecutive year. Andrade, a 5-10 senior from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, impacted Southwestern Christian's defensive efforts with 9.4 rebounds and 2.11 steals a game as well as 59 steals and 15 blocked shots overall. She averages 19.3 points and 3.7 assists a contest. Andrade nabbed the third all-SAC honor and second first-team all-conference award of her career.
Bird, a 6-foot senior from Overland Park, Kan., contributed 8.3 points and 4.5 rebounds a game for Mid-America Christian. Her season highs include 20 points at Texas Wesleyan on Jan. 27 and nine rebounds and eight assists against Central Christian on Feb. 17.
Jackson has taken Texas Wesleyan (23-5) to its most wins since accumulating 25 in 2011-12 and first 20-win season since a 21-10 mark in 2012-13 in her first season at the helm. The Lady Rams have experienced a turnaround since going 1-10 last season.
First-team all-conference included Amos, Andrade, Edgemon, Langston's Asheika Alexander and Wayland Baptist's Jenna Cooper. Cooper, a junior from Claude, Texas, made the first team for the second year in a row.
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2021-22 All-Sooner Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Teams and Individual Honors
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Player of the Year: Kaylee Edgemon, Sr., F, Wayland Baptist
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Newcomer of the Year: Kertisa Amos, Jr., G, Texas Wesleyan
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Freshman of the Year: Zarria Carter, Fr., C, Texas Wesleyan
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Defensive Player of the Year: Thamires Andrade, Sr., F, Southwestern Christian
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Sixth Woman of the Year: Abby Bird, Sr., F, Mid-America Christian
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John Hudson Coach of the Year: Brenita Jackson, Texas Wesleyan
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Sportsmanship Award: Mykayla Dumas, Jr., G, North Texas Dallas
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FIRST TEAM
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G
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Kertisa Amos
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Texas Wesleyan
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Jr.
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Burleson, Texas
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F
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Asheika Alexander
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Langston
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Sr.
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Gwinnett, Ga.
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F
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Thamires Andrade
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Southwestern Christian
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Sr.
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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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F
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Jenna Cooper
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Wayland Baptist
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Jr.
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Claude, Texas
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F
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Kaylee Edgemon
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Wayland Baptist
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Sr.
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Littlefield, Texas
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SECOND TEAM
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C
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Zaria Dorsey
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Science & Arts
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Jr.
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The Bronx, N.Y.
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G
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Lexi Hernandez
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Mid-America Christian
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Sr.
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Canyon, Texas
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F
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Ossyana Ozoanzi
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Mid-America Christian
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Sr.
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Oklahoma City
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C
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Abby Selzer
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Oklahoma City
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Sr.
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Thomas, Okla.
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F
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Tarrah Stephens
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John Brown
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Jr.
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Wyandotte, Okla.
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THIRD TEAM
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G
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Erika Ankney
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Oklahoma City
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Sr.
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Harrah, Okla.
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G
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Milagros Carrera
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Science & Arts
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So.
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Lima, Peru
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C
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Zarria Carter
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Texas Wesleyan
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Fr.
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Mansfield, Texas
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F
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Kaitlyn Edgemon
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Wayland Baptist
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RS Fr.
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Littlefield, Texas
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G
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Natalie Smith
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John Brown
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So.
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Bentonville, Ark.
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HONORABLE MENTION
Maddie Altman, John Brown
Jaycie Brisco, SW Assemblies of God
Makayla Coy, Texas Wesleyan
Taliyah Harris, Langston
Angel Hayden, Wayland Baptist
Kaytlen Johnson, Science & Arts
Cheyenne Marshall, Central Christian
Cassia McCaskill, Panhandle State
Delyssa Miller, North Texas Dallas
Presley Payahsape, Mid-America Christian
Sydney Wycoff, Mid-America Christian
Tresha Yagar, Southwestern Christian
ALL-FRESHMAN
Jaycie Brisco, SW Assemblies of God
Zarria Carter, Texas Wesleyan
Taliyah Harris, Langston
Lainey Morrow, Science & Arts
Emily Sanders, John Brown
ALL-DEFENSIVE
Asheika Alexander, Langston
Kertisa Amos, Texas Wesleyan
Thamires Andrade, Southwestern Christian
Milagros Carrera, Science & Arts
Angel Hayden, Wayland Baptist