BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced its 2023-24 All-SWAC Women's Basketball teams and individual award winners on Tuesday evening. The all-conference honors were voted on by the league’s coaches and sports information directors.
Florida A&M’s Ahriahna Grizzle, was named Player of the Year while Jackson State’s Angel Jackson claimed Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
Prairie View A&M’s Ryann Payne was tabbed Newcomer of the Year, Alabama A&M’s Kaylah Turner was selected Freshman of the Year, and Jackson State’s Tomekia Reed was voted SWAC Coach of the Year.
Grizzle was one of the top scorers in the SWAC this season, averaging 18.5 points per game (1st in SWAC). She had a career-high 31 points versus North Florida and tied her career-high versus Alabama A&M and Texas Southern. Grizzle was also one of the most efficient scorers in the SWAC with a 43 percent field goal percentage (3rd best in SWAC).
Jackson was the key defensive presence for a Jackson State Tigers Women’s Basketball team that held opponents to the fewest points per game in conference play (57.3 ppg). She led the conference in blocks per game with 2.7 blocks per outing.
Payne has stepped in to be one of the top scorers for the Panthers this season averaging 16.6 points per game ranking her third in the conference. She also ranks fourth in field goal percentage at 42 percent. Payne concluded the regular season ranked first in free throw shooting percentage at 85 percent.
Turner has played in all 30 games for the Bulldogs this season. She is second on the team in scoring, averaging 11.3 points per game and shooting 34 percent from the floor. In addition, she is averaging 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
Reed has led Jackson State to five consecutive SWAC Regular Season Championship Titles. The Tigers enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed after concluding regular season play with an undefeated 18-0 conference record.
The complete listing of all-conference selections and individual awards winners can be found below.
Coach of the Year
Tomekia Reed, Jackson State
Player of the Year
Ahriahna Grizzle, Florida A&M
Defensive Player of the Year
Angel Jackson, Jackson State
Newcomer of the Year
Ryann Payne, Prairie View A&M
Freshman of the Year
Kaylah Turner, Alabama A&M
All-SWAC First Team
Ahriahna Grizzle, Florida A&M
Miya Crump, Jackson State
Ti'lan Boler, Jackson State
Ryann Payne, Prairie View A&M
Zaay Green, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
All-SWAC Second Team
Coriah Beck, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Amiah Simmons, Alabama A&M
Destiny Brown, Alcorn State
Angel Jackson, Jackson State
Maya Peat, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field and Tennis.
Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball.
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at
www.swac.org.