All-SoCon women's basketball teams announced

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced the 2024-25 women's basketball postseason awards Tuesday. Selections include the coaches' all-conference teams and specialty awards. 

Wofford’s Evangelia Paulk was tabbed the conference’s player of the year and defensive player of the year by the coaches. UNCG’s Nya Smith was voted freshman of the year and sixth woman of the year, a new award added by the coaches. The Spartans’ head coach Trina Patterson was voted coach of the year.

ETSU’s Meghan Downing and Wofford’s Libby Privett were named co-Ann Lashley Inspiration Award winner.

The 2025 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 ESPNU.
 
All-Southern Conference Women's Basketball Teams

Player of the Year
Evangelia Paulk, So., F/G, Wofford
 
Freshman of the Year
Nya Smith, G, UNCG
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Evangelia Paulk, So., F/G, Wofford
 
Coach of the Year
Trina Patterson, UNCG
 
Ann Lashley Inspiration Award Winner
Meghan Downing, Jr., F, ETSU
Libby Privett, Jr., G, Wofford
 
First team
Courtney Moore, ETSU
Nya Smith, UNCG
Caia Elisaldez, UTC
Avyonce "AC" Carter, WCU
Evangelia Paulk, WOF
Helen Matthews, WOF

Second team
Tate Walters, FUR
Jayde Gamble, UNCG
Khalis Cain, UNCG
Kennedy Langham, SAM
Claire Johnson, SAM

All-defensive team
Meghan Downing, ETSU
Khalis Cain, UNCG
Emily Bowman, SAM
Sigrun Olafsdottir, UTC
Evangelia Paulk, WOF

All-freshman team
Carmen Richardson, ETSU
Clare Coyle, FUR
Nya Smith, UNCG
Claire Johnson, SAM
Gianna Corbitt, UTC
Molly Masingale, WOF


Notes

• Evangelia Paulk was voted Player of the Year by the coaches after being named the Media Freshman of the Year a season ago. Paulk is the third Terrier to win this award.
• Paulk was also named Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Terrier to win the award. She is the first player to win both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year since Chattanooga’s Taylor Hall did so in the 2013-14 season.
• Nya Smith is UNCG’s fourth freshman of the year, the last one being Nadine Soliman in 2016-17.
• Trina Patterson has won her third Coach of the Year award, her first since the 2019-20 season. This is the fifth time a Spartan coach has won Coach of the Year.
• The coaches had six players on their first team and all-freshman team due to a tie in voting.