There wasn’t a general consensus across the board with a league as stacked with talent as SEC women’s basketball, but one thing the USA TODAY Sports Network voters agreed on was the dominance of Aneesah Morrow.
The LSU forward swept the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Defensive Player of the Year awards while being the only unanimous All-SEC first team selection in the USA TODAY Sports Network’s All-SEC awards.
Morrow logged the 100th double-double of her career in the regular-season finale Sunday, and the senior averaged 18.2 points, 14 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.4 assists this season for the Tigers. Texas forward Madison Booker also received four votes for Player of the Year.
LSU and South Carolina were the only teams with multiple All-SEC selections. Three Tigers landed on All-SEC teams, two on first team, and the Gamecocks had two second-team selections. Booker, Kentucky point guard Georgia Amoore, Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes and LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson joined Morrow on All-SEC first team.
Morrow was the only player to receive more than two votes for the defensive award, and six other players received at least one vote. Tennessee guard Talaysia Cooper, who leads the league with three steals per game, was the only other player to receive at least two votes.
Texas coach Vic Schaefer won SEC Coach of the Year by a comfortable margin after leading the Longhorns to a share of the SEC regular-season championship in their first season in the conference. Texas also handed the Gamecocks, which won the last three regular-season titles outright, their first SEC regular-season loss in 57 games.
SEC Newcomer of the Year went to Blakes, the phenom freshman who set the SEC scoring record not once, but twice, this season with a 53-point game against Florida and a 55-point game against Auburn. The latter also set the NCAA freshman scoring record. Blakes averaged 23.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 steals. Amoore finished in second with three votes.
The All-SEC second team is made up by Cooper, Oklahoma center Raegan Beers, South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards and LSU guard Mikaylah Williams.
Here are the selections from the 12 participating writers who cover SEC women’s basketball team for the USA TODAY Sports Network:
First team
F Aneesah Morrow, LSU*
F Madison Booker, Texas
G Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
G Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
G Flau’jae Johnson, LSU
*Unanimous selection
Second team
C Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
G Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee
G MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
F Joyce Edwards, South Carolina
G Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Coach of the Year
Vic Schaefer, Texas
Also receiving votes: Kenny Brooks
Player of the Year
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Also receiving votes: Madison Booker
Newcomer of the Year
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Also receiving votes: Georgia Amoore
Defensive Player of the Year
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Also receiving votes: Talaysia Cooper
Poll participants: Lulu Kesin, Greenville News; Aria Gerson, Tennessean; Sam Hutchens, Clarion-Ledger; Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American-Statesman; Cory Diaz, Daily Advertiser; Calum McAndrew, Columbia Daily Tribune; Sara Tidwell, Athens Banner-Herald; Sam Sklar, Clarion-Ledger; Cora Hall, Knoxville News Sentinel; Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman; Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman; Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun
Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on X @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.