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2023-24 WBB SoCon All-Conference Honorees - FRONT

Women's Basketball Greg Hartlage, Director of Media Relations

Brewer Earns All-SoCon Honors; Beans Named to League’s Freshman Team

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Western Carolina women's basketball graduate student Lonasia Brewer was named second-team All-Southern Conference as voted on by the league's coaches and was a third-team honoree as selected by the SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) as the conference announced its postseason honors on Tuesday afternoon. Freshman Tyja Beans was also selected to the SoCon's All-Freshman team as voted on by both the coaches and SCSMA. 

Brewer is the second Catamount in as many years to garner the second-team coaches and third-team media honors as Kyla Allison received those same honors a season ago. Beans becomes the first WCU player to receive first-year team honors since Zanoria Cruz was recognized after the 2020-21 season. 

A fifth-year transfer from the University of Toledo, Brewer came on strong during SoCon play as she tallied a team-high 11.3 points per game including 20-point showings against Furman (Feb. 11) and Samford (Feb. 17). The Akron, Ohio native finished in a tie for ninth in scoring among conference games. She also picked up one of her two double-doubles against the SoCon regular-season champions Chattanooga with 19 points and 12 rebounds. 

Brewer eclipsed double-figures in points in 12 games and had three contests with 10-plus rebounds. She finished ninth overall in the league in offensive rebounds with 64 boards and placed in a tie for sixth in league play as she pulled down 34 opponent misses. Brewer was a team-high 124-of-239 (51.9%) shooting the basketball from the field and posted a team-best 70-of-131 (53.4%) from the floor in 14 league games. She also finished second on the Catamount squad in assists with 58 helpers. 

Beans averaged seven points per game in her debut season, an average that bumped to nearly eight at 7.8 points per game in SoCon play. The Daytona Beach, Fla., native recorded six double-figure scoring games over an eight-game stretch in league play to bolster a season tally of eight double-digit scoring games. Beans tallied her season-high of 14 points in a home matchup with Mercer (Feb. 15).

Beans also was strong for the Catamounts on the glass with 117 rebounds to finish second on the squad with her season-high 12 against ETSU (Feb. 24). She enters the 2024 Ingles SoCon Women's Basketball Championship ranked second on the team with 23 steals, posting a season-high five in her debut contest against Agnes Scott (Nov. 6).

Western Carolina begins its pursuit of a SoCon Tournament title on Thursday, March 7 at 11:00 a.m., facing top-seeded Chattanooga in the first of four quarterfinal contests from the Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville. The winner of that matchup faces the victor of a quarterfinal between No. 4 seed Mercer and No. 5 seed ETSU. The championship is scheduled for Sunday, March 10, at noon, with all games being streamed on ESPN+ (paid subscription required) and the title game broadcast on ESPNU.

Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's basketball and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, Catamountwbb).

Coaches Poll
Player of the Year: Rachael Rose, Jr, G, Wofford
Freshman of the Year: Kennedy Langham, G, Samford
Defensive Player of the Year: Ayanna Khalfani, Gr., G, UNCG
Coach of the Year: Shawn Poppie, Chattanooga
Ann Lashley Inspiration Award: Tate Walters, R-Jr., G, Furman
 
First Team All-Conference
Rachael Rose, Jr., Wofford
Jada Guinn, Gr., Chattanooga
Raven Thompson, So., Chattanooga
Nevaeh Brown, Jr., ETSU
Jayde Gamble, Jr., UNCG

Second Team All-Conference
Summah Evans, Sr., Mercer
Ayanna Khalfani, Gr., UNCG
Jada Session, Jr., Furman
Stacie Jones, Sr., Mercer
Lonasia Brewer, Gr., Western Carolina

All-Defensive Team
Ayanna Khalfani, Gr., UNCG
Sigrun Olafsdottir, Jr., G, Chattanooga
Summah Evans, Sr., Mercer
Emily Bowman, So., C, Samford
Annabelle Schultz, Sr., G, Wofford

All-Freshman Team
Kennedy Langham, Samford
Evangelia Paulk, Wofford
Hannah Kohn, Chattanooga
Maddie Heiss, Wofford
Tyja Beans, Western Carolina
 
SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) All-Southern Conference Women's Basketball Teams
Player of the Year: Rachael Rose, Jr., G, Wofford
Freshman of the Year: Evangelia Paulk, F/G, Wofford
Coach of the Year: Shawn Poppie, Chattanooga
 
First Team All-Conference
Rachael Rose, Jr., Wofford
Jada Guinn, Gr., Chattanooga
Raven Thompson, So., Chattanooga
Nevaeh Brown, Jr., ETSU
Jayde Gamble, Jr., UNCG

Second Team All-Conference
Summah Evans, Sr., Mercer
Jada Session, Jr., Furman
Ayanna Khalfani, Gr., UNCG
Stacie Jones, Sr., Mercer
Kate Johnson, So., Furman

Third Team All-Conference
Annabelle Schultz, Sr., G, Wofford
Niveya Henley, R-So., G, Furman
Emily Bowman, So., C, Samford
Lonasia Brewer, Gr., Western Carolina
Carly Heidger, R-So., G, Samford

All-Freshman Team
Evangelia Paulk, Wofford
Maddie Heiss, Wofford
Kennedy Langham, Samford
Tyja Beans, Western Carolina
Hannah Kohn, Chattanooga
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Players Mentioned

Kyla Allison

#3 Kyla Allison

G
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Wekiva HS / Middle Tennessee
Zanoria Cruz

#13 Zanoria Cruz

G/F
5' 10"
Senior
Lonasia Brewer

#1 Lonasia Brewer

F/P
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Tyja Beans

#5 Tyja Beans

G/F
5' 11"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kyla Allison

#3 Kyla Allison

6' 0"
Graduate Student
Wekiva HS / Middle Tennessee
G
Zanoria Cruz

#13 Zanoria Cruz

5' 10"
Senior
G/F
Lonasia Brewer

#1 Lonasia Brewer

6' 0"
Graduate Student
F/P
Tyja Beans

#5 Tyja Beans

5' 11"
Freshman
G/F