River States Conference Women's Basketball Teams & Awards released for 2022-23
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- The 2022-23 All-River States Conference Women's Basketball Teams & Awards have been announced after voting from the league's 13 head coaches. University of Rio Grande (Ohio) star senior Ella Skeens led the accolades as the RSC Women's Basketball Player of the Year. It is the second year in a row that the guard from Chillicothe, Ohio, was named conference player of the year.
The All-RSC Women's Basketball First & Second Teams as well as the Honorable Mention Team all have 10 players named. Also awarded was the RSC Women's Basketball Champions of Character Team and the All-RSC Scholar-Athlete Team.
Skeens leads the RSC in scoring at 24.0 points per game, which is third in all of the NAIA. She is shooting 53 percent from the field, 82 percent from the foul line and also grabs 8.0 rebounds per game, the latter of which is seventh in the RSC. She has the No. 12-ranked RedStorm (27-3) in the RSC Championship finals at home Tuesday, Feb. 28 versus Midway (Ky.) (23-7).
Rio Grande head coach David Smalley, in his 31st year, was named RSC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. He has led the RedStorm to an automatic berth in the NAIA National Championship as RSC regular-season champions and RSC East Division champs along with the NAIA Top 25 ranking all season.
WVU Tech junior guard Faith Silva was selected RSC Women's Basketball Newcomer of the Year. She was sixth in the conference averaging 18.2 ppg, and she leads the entire NAIA with 115 made 3-point field goals this year.
Rio Grande and Midway (Ky.) led the conference with two players each on the All-RSC First Team. Joining Skeens on the first team was teammate Kaylee Darnell, who is ninth in the conference at 16.3 ppg. Midway's pair of first-team selections are Dezeree White at 18.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 48% field goals along with Semaj Adams with 10.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg.
Alice Lloyd College (Ky.) senior guard Hannah Kash was a First-Team selection. She led the Eagles in scoring, assists, and steals and was among the league's leaders in several categories. Her 20.6ppg are 11th nationally.
Her teammate, sophomore guard Katie Jo Moore, was named as a Second Team selection. She finished second on the club in scoring and assists, while tying for first in steals. Additionally, ALC senior center Baylee Brainard was named Honorable Mention All-Conference. She finished third in scoring and second in rebounds for the club.
The RSC Women's Basketball Champions of Character Team had one player from each school nominated by their head coach for best representing the NAIA's five-character values of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship. For Alice Lloyd, Bailee Brainard received this honor.
The RSC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team had all players with a 3.25 GPA or higher who competed in women's basketball and have at least two semesters at their current school prior to this basketball season. Midway and St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) College tied for the conference lead with nine each on the scholar team. Alice Lloyd placed seven on this team: Jasmine Eley, Katie Jo Moore, Madison Thompson, Madison Ward, Makayla May, Riley Schreck, and Tori Hampton.