Sunshine State Conference

ALL-SSC Women's Basketball Selections for 2022-23

03.01.23

Thirteen WBB student-athletes recognized as All-SSC in 2022-23

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference recognizes thirteen women's basketball student-athletes as All-SSC in 2022-23. The University of Tampa, regular-season champions, boasts seven All-SSC awards, including Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and Coach of the Year.

Tampa’s Sydney Kin is honored as the SSC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. The 6-3 forward/center piloted the Spartans to a 19-1 conference record, a third straight conference title, and the top seed in the SSC tournament. The senior from Carey, Ohio, finished the regular season first in SSC rebounding per game (10.0) and second in SSC scoring per game (18.5) across 28 contests. She is also first in league blocks per game (2.1) and field-goal percentage (.657). Kin is the fifth Tampa player to be honored as Player of the Year¹, the fourth Spartan named Newcomer of the Year², and the first SSC women’s basketball athlete to win both awards in the same season. The Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year award is presented by College Ave Student Loans.

SSC Women's Basketball History: ALL-SSC Teams | Players & Coaches of the Year | Conference Champions | Elite 8 History | Record Book

Eckerd College's Lauryn Vieira repeats as Defensive Player of the Year. The 5-3 sophomore point guard from Haute-Savoie, France, started all 27 games for Eckerd this season and ranked second in SSC steals per game (2.5), third in minutes per game (34.5), and eighth in defensive rebounds per game (4.3) during the regular season. Vieira remains the second player in Eckerd history to be named Defensive Player of the Year³ and becomes the third SSC women’s basketball athlete to win the award twice⁴. 

K’Nari Holliday from Barry University takes Freshman of the Year honors. The 6-1 center from Apopka, Florida, saw action in all 28 regular season games this season for the Buccaneers. She was third in team scoring and fourth in team rebounding. Holliday is the fourth women's basketball athlete from Barry to Freshman of the Year, the first since 2003-04⁵.

Tampa's Tom Jessee is named Coach of the Year by his peers for the fourth consecutive season, seventh overall⁶. Jessee guided the Spartans to the program's eighth conference title and third straight, following a 19-1 conference record. The 2022-23 Spartans reached No. 3 in the nation by leading the SSC in scoring defense (58.2 ppg) and scoring margin (+14.8). Jessee continues to hold the second most Coach of the Year awards in SSC women's basketball history. He is also the first coach to win the prize four straight seasons since 1989-907.

Maya Price of Eckerd highlights the repeat All-SSC winners following her second consecutive First Team award. Price also earned the SSC Player of the Year award following the 2021-22 season. Tampa's Melijah Sullivan reaches the First Team following Player of the Year and First Team accolades in 2020-21. Sullivan was also a Second Team honoree in 2019-20. Sofia Persson of Eckerd jumps to the First Team after being named Second Team in 2021-22. Saint Leo University's Amanda Ulrich grabs Second Team honors in 2022-23 after being named First Team in 2021-22 and Second Team and Freshman of the Year in 2019-20.

All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by a vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.
-
Player of the Year: Sydney Kin, Tampa
Defensive Player of the Year: Lauryn Vieira, Eckerd
Newcomer of the Year: Sydney Kin, Tampa
Freshman of the Year: K’Nari Holliday, Barry
Coach of the Year: Tom Jessee, Tampa
-