SAVANNAH, Ga. ^__ The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) has announced its annual women's basketball awards to cap the 2022-2023 regular season, with Ashaila Jackson (Merrillville, Ind.) winning Player of the Year, JuToreyia Willis (Chattanooga, Tenn.) winning Defensive Player of the Year, followed by Trelanne Powell being named Coach of the Year following the undefeated conference record in the  regular season. 

The league's head coaches and sports information directors voted on this year's all-conference teams, which feature ten student-athletes prior to the 2023 TIAA SIAC Basketball Championship, presented by Cricket, that is taking place February 25 – March 4 and hosted by Savannah State University.

The 2023 TIAA SIAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Team is headlined by a Tuskegee duo in redshirt senior forward Ashiala Jackson, who was voted 2022-2023 TIAA SIAC Player of the Year, and graduate student guard JuToreyia Willis, who earned the 2022-2023 TIAA SIAC Defensive Player of the Year award.

Last year, Jackson and Willis earned 2021-22 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards and 2022-23 Preseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors. This season, they have been the leaders for the Golden Tigers scheme guiding their team to the No. 1 seed in the West Division and a spotless conference record entering the championship tournament.

During the regular season, Jackson averaged 15.1 points per game over 26 games. She shot 47.3 percent (155-of-328) from the field and 71.6 percent from the free-throw line making 3.2 per game. The Indiana native averaged 9.8 rebounds per game for the Golden Tigers this season. Jackson continued to show why she is the reigning Player of the Year, scoring in double figures in 19 games, including five 20-plus nights and a season-high of 30 against Albany State in November. The forward also recorded 13 double-doubles on the year and led the conference averaging 9.8 per game, with 1.9 steals and 0.5 blocks per contest. The senior grabbed five or more rebounds in 24 contests, with her lowest total being three in 12 minutes of play. Jackson has been named Player of the Week multiple times, along with BOXTOROW National Player of the Week and HBCU National Player of the Week. She is also creeping up on a prestigious milestone of 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career.

In 22 games, Willis posted 13.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per contest while shooting 47.2 (135-of-286) percent from the field, 22 percent from long range, and 71.6 (54-of-75) percent from the charity stripe on the year. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year dominated that side of the ball, averaging a team and league-high 3.3 steals along with nearly a block a game. Willis reached the double-digit point mark in all but three games, grabbed four or more rebounds in 18 games, and multiple steals in 22 games, including a career-high ten against Spring Hill (February 11).

Powell has led the Golden Tigers to one of their most successful seasons in program history, currently 23-3 overall and undefeated in conference play. Tuskegee is a perfect 12-0 at home on the year and also picked up a pair of crucial non-conference wins against Delta State (November 11) and Mississippi College (November 12) to start the year. Her squad ranks atop the SIAC in assist-to-turnover ratio, assists per game, scoring offense, scoring margin, steals per game, three-point percentage defense, and turnover margin. They also rank first nationally in three-point defensive percentage, fourth in turnovers forced per game, fifth in steals, and in all of Division II in offensive rebounds per contest.

The Elite 14 award recognizes the student-athlete who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the SIAC championship level in their sport while also achieving the highest academic standard among their peers. Four student-athletes will receive this honor after receiving a 4.0. Naja Fenelo (Kentucky State), JuToreyia Willis (Tuskegee), Karyn Knight (LeMoyne-Owen), and Mahogany Randall (Benedict) are the second recipients of this award in their respective sports.

(complete team listed below)
 
2023 TIAA SIAC Women's Basketball All-Conference Team presented by Cricket
 
First Team

Second Team

Coach of the Year: Trelanne Powell, Tuskegee
Player of the Year: Ashiala Jackson, Tuskegee
Defensive Player of the Year: JuToreyia Willis, Tuskegee
Newcomer of the Year: Iemyiah Harris, Miles
Freshman of the Year: Madison Lee, Miles

Elite 14: 
Naja Fenelo (Kentucky State, 4.0),
JuToreyia Willis (Tuskegee, 4.0), 
Karyn Knight (LeMoyne-Owen, 4.0), and
Mahogany Randall (Benedict, 4.0)