CANTON, Ga. (February 25, 2025) – Headlined by regular season champion Millsaps, the Southern Athletic Association has announced its 2024-25 women’s basketball All-Conference teams.
Centre senior Bailey Rucker was voted the Athlete of the Year while Millsaps sophomore Garin Freeman was named the Defensive Athlete of the Year. Berry first year Briaiah Lewis is the Rookie of the Year and Millsaps, led by head coach Justin LeBlanc, was tapped the Coaching Staff of the Year.
All-Conference voting and selection of the All-Sportsmanship team was conducted among the conference’s head coaches.
Athlete of the Year – Bailey Rucker (Centre/Senior/Catlettsburg, Ky.) The 2021-22 SAA Rookie of the Year culminated her decorated career by being voted the Athlete of the Year this season. She averaged a second best 16.1 points in conference play while also pulling down 5.8 rebounds a night. She shot 44 percent from the field and 77 percent at the free throw line. Five times she eclipsed 20 points, including a season-high 29 at Hendrix in February. Rucker had two conference double-doubles, getting 28 points and 11 rebounds against Oglethorpe and then tallying 16 points and 10 rebounds against Berry in the very next game. The senior is just the third, four-time All-Conference honoree in SAA history, landing on the Honorable Mention in 2021-22 and earning First Team each of the last three seasons. Rucker is the second Colonel voted Athlete of the Year, joining Paige Baechel in 2013.
Defensive Athlete of the Year – Garin Freeman (Millsaps/Sophomore/Little Rock, Ark.) Just a sophomore, Freeman enjoyed a breakout second collegiate season. The guard led the SAA in scoring (16.3 ppg), assists (5.3 apg), and steals (3.0 spg) during conference play. She tallied at least two assists, two rebounds, and two steals in every league game. Freeman had a monster night against Sewanee to start February with 16 points, six assists, and five steals. The next day, she put up 26 points, seven assists and three steals in a key win against Centre that propelled the Majors to their second-straight SAA regular season title. Freeman was Honorable Mention All-Conference last season and joins Millsaps standouts Dia Fortenberry (2021) and Braxton Thomas (2016) as SAA Defensive Athletes of the Year.
Rookie of the Year – Briaiah Lewis (Berry/First Year/Atlanta, Ga.) A first year from Atlanta, Lewis made an immediate impact for Berry and became a top performer in the conference. She filled the stat sheet, averaging 9.7 points. 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals a game against SAA opponents. Lewis had a breakout game against Millsaps, netting 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds and two assists. She closed her first season with 15 points and six rebounds in the SAA tournament quarterfinals against Sewanee. Lewis the SAA’s first Rookie of the Year from Berry.
Coaching Staff of the Year – Millsaps (Head Coach Justin LeBlanc) For the second straight season, Millsaps was voted the SAA Coaching Staff of the Year. Led by head coach Justin LeBlanc, the Majors won back-to-back outright SAA championships after going 21-4, 10-2. They are now 64-17 overall and 31-8 in SAA play over the last three seasons. LeBlanc mentored an SAA-best, four All-Conference performers this season, including first teamers Haley Franklin and Garin Freeman. The honor is the fourth for LeBlanc in his career, also winning in 2024, 2021, and 2019.
Athlete of the Year: Bailey Rucker (Centre)
Defensive Athlete of the Year: Garin Freeman (Millsaps)
Rookie of the Year: Briaiah Lewis (Berry)
Coaching Staff of the Year: Millsaps, Head Coach Justin LeBlanc
First Team:
Riley Brady (Hendrix)
Haley Franklin (Millsaps)
Garin Freeman (Millsaps)
Keimarya Rivera (Oglethorpe)
Bailey Rucker (Centre)
Second Team:
Olivia Falvey (Sewanee)
Kenadie Lee (Berry)
Avery Marsh (Rhodes)
Lilly Reid (Centre)
Elyse Warren (Millsaps)
Honorable Mention:
Tia Anderson (Millsaps)
Elly Callihan (Berry)
Hannah Cleveland (Sewanee)
Taylor Dupree (Rhodes)
Ka’Niah Edelen (Centre)
Sheraton Foster (Oglethorpe)
Ava Knoedl (Hendrix)
A’niya Lagarde (Rhodes)
Briaiah Lewis (Berry)
AC Milam (Rhodes)
Cydney Wright (Sewanee)
All-Sportsmanship Team
Berry – Callie Jackson
Centre – Emma Perna
Hendrix – Megan Gray
Millsaps – Taylor Frank
Oglethorpe – Karina Lopez
Rhodes – A’Niya Lagarde
Sewanee – Lilly Phillips