Conference Player of the Year Predictions
Who could win their respective conference player of the year awards? Read on to find out!
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With the non-conference part of the schedule almost complete, the elite players of 2022-23 have not played enough games to distinguish themselves. As teams begin to focus on their conference foes, it’s time to take a look at my prediction for the conference player of the year in all 32 conferences.
Atlantic 10
Sam Breen, UMass
18.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.1 apg
The reigning conference player of the year, Breen continues to deliver exceptional performances night in and night out and in her senior season, most notably in a win against Arizona State (16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) as well in close losses versus Tennessee and Missouri.
ACC
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
18.8 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 2.1 bpg
Kitley remains dominant, as she’s put up double-doubles in eight of the ten games she’s played in. She sits third in defensive rebounds and 12th in total rebounds per game nationally.
America East
Emma Utterback, Vermont
14.5 ppg, 4.5 apg
The guard is off to a strong start, as she’s scored in double-figures in all but two games and finished just four rebounds shy of a triple-double in a loss against Miami (OH). She is also in the top 2% of Division I in assists per game.
American
Elena Tsineke, South Florida
16.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.4 apg
Tsineke has played against some of the top teams in the country including then-No. 22 Texas. In a stellar performance against the Longhorns, she dropped 22 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals, leading the Bulls to the win.
ASUN
Tishara Morehouse, FGCU
13.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.8 apg
The veteran guard has proven herself worthy, such as when she scored 24 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out four assists in a loss to the No. 2 team in the country, the Stanford Cardinal. She proved she has what it takes against top competition.
Big Ten
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
27.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.2 apg
The junior point guard has scored over 18 points in every single game she’s played this season. She currently sits second in scoring and fifth in assists per game. Her PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 42.9, which is eighth in the nation.
Big 12
Ashley Joens, Iowa State
19.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg
Joens has had four double-doubles so far and dropped 18 points and nine rebounds in a loss versus then-No. 8 North Carolina and had 15 points and seven rebounds in a loss versus then-No. 16 Iowa. She’s currently ranked in the top 1% of Division I in win shares, a statistic that estimates the number of wins a player produces through their offensive and defensive box score statistics.
Big East
Maddy Siegrist, Villanova
27.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg
Siegrist has played against three of the top 25 teams and has scored over 25 points in each game. She’s currently third in the country in scoring and her PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 49.0, which ranks fourth.
Big Sky
Isnelle Natabou, Sacramento State
17.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg
The junior center is off to a terrific start, as she has dropped double-doubles in six out of nine games she has played in. Nationally, she currently sits in 13th place in rebounds per game.
Big South
Jhessyka Williams, Gardner-Webb
18.5 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.6 spg
In her fifth season with the Runnin' Bulldogs, she’s off to a terrific start that includes six double-doubles. She’s also second in free throws attempted per game nationally with 8.5.
Big West
Ila Lane, UC Santa Barbara
14.4 ppg, 9.6 rpg
The senior center ranks in the top 1% of Division I in rebounds per game and the top 2% in field-goal percentage. She has four double-doubles.
Colonial Athletic Association
Keishana Washington, Drexel
28.1 ppg, 4.6 apg
Washington has flourished so far in her fifth year with the Dragons, as she currently leads the country in scoring. She’s fourth in free throws made per game nationally with 6.2. Her PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 40.1, which is 14th.
Conference USA
Savannah Wheeler, Middle Tennessee
16.0 ppg, 3.9 apg
Wheeler transferred from Marshall and has made an immediate impact for Middle Tennessee. She ranks sixth in the country in free throws made per game with 6.0. Overall, she’s in the top 2% of Division I in win shares.
Horizon League
Destiny Leo, Cleveland State
17.9 ppg, 1.8 spg
The junior guard has scored over 19 points in six of ten games this season. In a win against DePaul, she scored 22 points, had five assists and shot 61.5% from the field including 50% from three.
Ivy League
Kaitlyn Chen, Princeton
14.8 ppg, 4.5 apg
Chen has quickly established herself this season, putting up great numbers against top teams such as then-No. 19 Texas (15 points, 3 assists) and in a close loss versus then-No. 6 UConn (18 points, 7 assists, and 3 steals).
MAAC
Mikala Morris, Quinnipiac
9.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg
The senior forward has been quite efficient this season when facing top competition. Against then-No.12 Indiana, she had 16 points, five assists, two blocks and shot 53.3% from the field.
MAC
Quinesha Lockett, Toledo
15.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.3 apg
Lockett has continued her excellence in her senior season, as she scored 15 points or more in six out of ten games played and dropped 12 points, six rebounds and four steals in a win over then-No.12 Michigan.
MEAC
Camille Downs, Norfolk State
11.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.0 spg
The 5-foot-10 guard is currently 25th in the country in steals per game thanks to six games with three or more steals. She’s also had six games in which she pulled down five or more rebounds.
Missouri Valley Conference
Maggie Bair, Drake
17.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.8 bpg
In her senior season, the forward has put up remarkable numbers so far and she’s done so against three of the top 25 teams. Against then-No. 13 Creighton, her stat line included 26 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks while shooting 64.7% from the field. In a win against then-No. 22 Nebraska, she put up 17 points, nine rebounds and shot 70% from the field. Her PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is 46.5 which is fifth nationally.
Mountain West Conference
Desi-Rae Young, UNLV
17.9 ppg, 9.4 rpg
Young continues to perform at an elite level, as she has scored 16 or more points in every game except one this year. She’s also had four double-doubles. She’s in the top 2% in overall win shares as well as offensive win shares.
NEC
Chloe Wilson, Fairleigh Dickinson
15.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg
The junior forward has scored in double figures in every game but one so far. She’s in the top 4% of defensive win shares.
Ohio Valley Conference
Lariah Washington, Eastern Illinois
19.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.9 apg
Washington continues to be the top-scoring guard in the conference, as she’s had two 30-point games so far. She’s done it by shooting the ball effectively, hitting 50% from the field, 40.9% from three and 85.7% from the free throw line. Only nine players in Division I are shooting 50/40/85 with at least 20 attempts from each location.
Pac-12
Cameron Brink, Stanford
12.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 3.0 bpg
Brink continues to make an impact in her junior season. She’s currently fifth in blocks per game nationally. Her PER is 45.5, which is sixth. She’s had six games in which she had three or more blocks. Inside the arc, she’s shooting at a high level, 67.8%.
Patriot League
Sydney Johnson, Boston University
11.7 ppg, 4.0 apg
The senior guard is known for her all-around game and this season she’s had five or more assists in five out of eight games played. She’s scored in double figures in every game except one.
SEC
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
12.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg
Boston continues to be dominant, and in her senior season, she’s put up six double-doubles in 10 games played. She’s currently shooting 61.3% from the field and 67.1% from inside the paint.
Southern Conference
Jackie Carman, Wofford
17.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg
The senior guard has been on a tear so far during the season, as she has scored 11 points or more in all eight games she’s played in. Against Clemson, she scored 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and three assists. Against then-No. 8 North Carolina, she dropped 18 points.
Southland Conference
Julija Vujakovic, Houston Christian
14.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg
She has gotten off to a terrific start so far this season, as she has scored in double figures in every game except one. Against No. 11 LSU, she scored 18 points to go along with three rebounds, three steals and three blocks in the loss.
Summit League
Myah Selland, South Dakota State
15.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.1 apg
Selland has continued her excellence for the Jackrabbits this season. She has put together some impressive performances against three top-25 teams. Her best game was in a win against then-No. 10 Louisville. She scored 25 points, had 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks while shooting 50% from the field.
Sun Belt Conference
Kiki Jefferson, James Madison
20.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg
Jefferson has elevated her play in her senior season. She’s currently 22nd in points per game in D-I. Most impressively, she scored 30 points, had ten rebounds and five assists in a close loss against then-No. 13 North Carolina. She shot 56.3% in the game.
SWAC
Diana Rosenthal, Prairie View A&M
14.0 ppg, 1.8 spg
The senior guard has scored 20 or more points in four games this season. Against Washington State, she scored 18 points and had three rebounds.
WAC
Aiyana Johnson, Stephen F. Austin
14.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Johnson is off to a strong start in her fifth season, as she has scored in double figures in every game except one. Her all-around play was shown in a game against Arizona State in which she scored 18 points, had seven rebounds and five assists in a win.
WCC
Brynna Maxwell, Gonzaga
14.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg
The senior guard continues to shine, as she is shooting a remarkable 50% from the field, 55.4% from three and 97.1% at the free throw line. No player in the Her Hoop Stats database dating back to 2009-10 has shot 50/55/95 for a full season (minimum 20 attempts from each location).
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Really? You say Desi Rae Young over McKenna Hofschild but Hofschild is one of the top guards in the country? Insane. ridiculous.