Rhyne Howard makes SEC First Team; Jada Walker named All-Freshman

Kentucky Women’s Basketball boasts a pair of the SEC’s most talented players, both young and old.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Southeastern Conference announced its All-SEC Teams and awards for the 2021-22 season. Senior guard Rhyne Howard was tabbed to the All-SEC First-Team for the fourth consecutive season while rookie guard Jada Walker was named to the All-Freshman Team. Howard recently earned SEC Player of the Week for her efforts in the Wildcats’ final two regular-season games. Likewise, Walker was tabbed as the SEC Freshman of the Week for her efforts from two weeks ago.

South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston was named the Player of the Year as well as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, which she collected for the third consecutive season. Boston’s head coach, Dawn Staley, took home Coach of the Year honors for the fifth time.

The league coaches have named Rhyne Howard a First-Team All-SEC performer for the fourth straight year.

Jada Walker deservedly makes the All-SEC Freshman Team, too. https://t.co/bYk6hV8lCp

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) March 1, 2022

Howard, who won the previous two SEC Player of the Year awards, has been named as a First-Team All-SEC performer by the league’s coaches all four year seasons at Kentucky, although she was not a consensus First-Teamer as a freshman. Howard has widely been considered as one of the country’s top players since she was a sophomore and it is anticipated she will get selected among the top two picks in the upcoming 2022 WNBA Draft.

As a senior, Howard has been just as spectacular as years past. The 6-foot-2 native of Cleveland, TN is averaging 20.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.6 steals, and 1.3 blocks on a shooting split of 44.0/36.9/80.6. She’s been the driving force behind Kentucky’s recent six-game winning streak, which now has the ‘Cats projected to make the NCAA Tournament.

Looking at Walker, she’s been arguably the most important factor of the season for head coach Kyra Elzy. With the loss of Blair Green to a ruptured Achilles in the preseason, someone was going to need to step up and score the ball. Not many expected that person to be the 5-foot-7 freshman from Richmond, VA.

Walker is averaging 10.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per outing while shooting 41.5 percent from the field, a team-high 37.7 percent from distance, and 69.1 percent from the free-throw line. She ranks third on the team in minutes played behind Howard and senior point guard Jazmine Massengill.

Kentucky will begin its postseason run starting the SEC Tournament this Thursday. The seven-seeded Wildcats will take on 10-seeded Mississippi State at 7:00 p.m. EST on the SEC Network.

First Team All-SEC

Kiara Smith, Florida
Jenna Staiti, Georgia
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Khayla Pointer, LSU
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Destanni Henderson, South Carolina
Jordan Horston, Tennessee

Second Team All-SEC

Brittany Davis, Alabama
Amber Ramirez, Arkansas
Aicha Coulibaly, Auburn
Que Morrison, Georgia
Alexis Morris, LSU
Anastasia Hayes, Mississippi State
Aijha Blackwell, Missouri
Hayley Frank, Missouri
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Tamari Key, Tennessee

All-Freshman

Samara Spencer, Arkansas
Jersey Wolfenbarger, Arkansas
Alberte Rimdal, Florida
Jada Walker, Kentucky
Denae Carter, Mississippi State
Sara Puckett, Tennessee
Sacha Washington, Vanderbilt
Iyana Moore, Vanderbilt

All-Defensive

Kiara Smith, Florida
Que Morrison, Georgia
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Tamari Key, Tennessee
Jordyn Cambridge, Vanderbilt

Player of the Year – Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

Freshman of the Year – Samara Spencer, Arkansas

Defensive Player of the Year – Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

6th Woman of the Year – Angel Baker, Ole Miss

Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Mikayla Coombs, Georgia

Coach of the Year – Dawn Staley, South Carolina