NEW ORLEANS – Marshall guard Abby Beeman was named Player of the Year to highlight the 2024 Sun Belt Conference Basketball Awards and All-Conference Teams, announced Monday. The awards were voted upon by the league’s 14 head coaches.
The annual awards precede the 2024 Hercules Tires Sun Belt Women’s Basketball Championship, set to take place March 5-11 at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla. For complete championship information,
please click here.
Player of the Year: Abby Beeman, Marshall
Abby Beeman helped lead Marshall to a 23-6 (17-1 SBC) record as the program claimed the outright 2024 Sun Belt regular season title. The Ridgeley, W.Va., product averaged 16.8 points per game, a mark that’s good for sixth in the conference, while also amassing 5.8 rebounds per game, 2.3 steals per game, and 6.2 assists per game. Beeman’s 6.2 assists per game, and 179 helpers on the year, topped the league and ranks 10
th nationally. The Herd’s floor general also registered a pair of triple doubles in the regular season, one of only six players nationally to do so in the 2023-24 campaign. Beeman was integral to Marshall’s dominant play against conference foes, helping lead the Herd to its best record in conference play (17-1) in program history, a perfect 9-0 in road league contests, and Marshall’s first 20-win regular season since 1990-91.
Defensive Player of the Year: Kaye Clark, Old Dominion
Clark repeated as the Sun Belt leader in steals (87) and steals per game (3.0) for the second straight season. Her 87 swipes on the year also rank eighth nationally while her 3.0 steals per game are good for 12
th in all NCAA Division I. In conference play, Clark tallied 54 steals and 3.0 steals per game, also league-bests. As the top defensive player on one of the top defensive teams in the Sun Belt, her effort helped the Monarchs finish the regular season ranked 15
th nationally in turnovers forced per game (20.86), 25
th in turnover margin (4.59) and three-point percentage defense (.271), and 28
th in steals per game (10.7). After leading the league in scoring defense for most of the season, Old Dominion finished second in the conference with 60.0 points allowed per game. Clark started all 29 games in the 2023-24 campaign and collected 26 multiple-steal performances. The Milwaukee, Wis., native also grabbed 100 rebounds (31 offensive, 69 defensive) and five blocks to her season total.
Freshman of the Year: Crystal Henderson, Georgia State
Henderson has made an immediate impact for the Panthers in her first season of college basketball. The point guard started in every contest in her first season suited up for Georgia State, leading all Sun Belt freshman in scoring (11.4 ppg), steals (1.76) and assists (4.4), a mark that also ranks fifth among all freshmen in the NCAA. Henderson, who finished the year ranked second on the squad in scoring, notched a career-high 24 points in the conference opener against Troy and recorded 20 points, five three-pointers and five assists in the Panthers' autonomy five win at Clemson. Henderson finished the regular season with 14 double-digit scoring outings.
Newcomer of the Year: Daisha Bradford, ULM
Bradford helped lead ULM to the most wins in a single season (18) since 2007-08 and helped the Warhawks notch their longest conference winning streak (6) in 19 years. The senior guard was instrumental in leading ULM to the first, top five finish in the conference regular season standings since 2010-11, starting all 30 games in the 2023-24 campaign and registering 19.4 points per game, good for fourth in the conference. Bradford also ranked inside the Sun Belt’s top 10 in rebounding (7
th, 7.5), defensive rebounding (3
rd, 5.7), free throw percentage (10
th, 78.2), three-point field goals per game (3
rd, 2.3 per game), assists (5
th, 4.3) and assist/turnover ratio (7
th, 1.4). The Mobile, Ala., native led ULM with 50 steals and shot 38.2 percent from the field this season. In addition, Bradford reached double figures in all but three games and scored 30+ points in three separate outings.
Sixth Woman of the Year: Katlyn Manuel, ULM
A three-year letter winner at ULM, Katlyn Manuel was part of the Warhawks' turnaround of winning the most games in a single season (18) since 2007-08 by embracing her role as the sixth woman. Manuel provided 10.2 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game for ULM off the bench. The Lawtell, La. product turned in three double-double performances and shot an impressive 52.5 percent from the field, a mark that ranked first on the squad. Manuel also led the Warhawks with 30 blocks and ranked fifth in the conference with 1.0 blocks per game.
Coach of the Year: Kim Caldwell, Marshall
In her first season at the helm, Caldwell led Marshall to a 23-6 overall record, including a 17-1 mark in conference play, to earn the outright 2024 Sun Belt Conference women’s basketball regular season title. The Herd, who were picked ninth in the league’s preseason poll, dominated in league action, putting up an unblemished 9-0 record in road conference games while also finishing in the win column in 21 of its last 23 outings. Marshall’s 23 victories in the regular season are the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history and marked the first, 20-win regular season since 1990-91. The Herd led the league in scoring offense (85.4 points per game), scoring margin (13.9), team field goal percentage (43%), and turnover margin (23.6). Marshall’s 85.4 points per game also ranks fifth nationally while its 13.3 steals per game are good for third.
2024 Sun Belt Women’s Basketball End-of-Year Awards
Player of the Year: Abby Beeman, Marshall [GR | G | Ridgeley, W.Va.]
Defensive Player of the Year: Kaye Clark, Old Dominion [GR | G | Milwaukee, Wis.]
Freshman of the Year: Crystal Henderson, Georgia State [FR | G | Marietta, Ga.]
Newcomer of the Year: Daisha Bradford, ULM [SR | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Sixth Woman of the Year: Katlyn Manuel, ULM [JR | F | Lawtell, La.]
Coach of the Year: Kim Caldwell, Marshall
2024 Sun Belt Women’s Basketball All-Conference Teams
First Team
Abby Beeman, Marshall [GR | G | Ridgeley, W.Va.]
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss [SR | G | DeRidder, La.]
Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State [JR | G | Batesville, Ark.]
Tai’Sheka Porchia, Troy [SR | F | Camden, Ark.]
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern [SR | G/F | Jesup, Ga.]
Second Team
Faith Alston, App State [SR | G | Centerville, Va.]
Daisha Bradford, ULM [SR | G | Mobile, Ala.]
Ja’Mia Hollings, Troy [SR | F | West Point, Miss.]
Kseniia Kozlova, James Madison [R-JR | C | Moscow, Russia]
Peyton McDaniel, James Madison [R-SO | G | Birdsboro, Pa.]
Third Team
En’Dya Buford, Old Dominion [SR | G | Memphis, Tenn.]
Breanna Campbell, Marshall [SR | G | Largo, Fla.]
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss [R-JR | C | Hattiesburg, Miss.]
Makayia Hallmon, Troy [SR | G | Coushatta, La.]
Jakayla Johnson, ULM [JR | G | Clinton, Miss.]
Mikyla Tolivert, Georgia State [JR | G | Melbourne, Fla.]