Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina graduate transfer AC Carter was today named to the first-team All-Southern Conference team as selected by the league's head coaches, having quite the impact for the Catamounts and among the conference in her final season on the hardwood.
Carter is the first Catamount to earn an all-conference first-team nod since Kaila'Shea Menendez in the 2011-12 season.
Leading the SoCon in scoring from wire-to-wire in the regular season, Carter earned the postseason accolade after averaging 14.7 points per game. She totaled 427 points, reaching double figures 25 times with a run of 13 straight early in the year, breaking the 20-point plateau on four occasions. She also posted six double-doubles for the Catamounts with points and rebounds.
A product of Atlanta, Ga., Carter recorded most of her production inside the 3-point arc, shooting 41.1% with a conference-leading 155 made field goals. The veteran guard was also second on the WCU squad in made 3-pointers, knocking down 25 throughout the 29-game regular season.
Carter set single-game career-high marks in scoring this season with 26 points against Samford (Jan. 30) and rebounds with 15 boards against Mercer (Feb. 27). Carter nearly posted the first triple-double in program history with a 14-point, 12-rebound, 8-assist performance against the Queens Royals in December, earning SoCon Player of the Week plaudits after that effort.
Carter and the Catamounts return to the hardwood in Asheville on Thursday (March 6) at 11 a.m. against the top-seeded UNC Greensboro Spartans to open the 2025 Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championship. Catamount fans in town for the tournament will gather at the Early Girl Eatery (Asheville-Downtown, 8 Wall St.) before heading to the Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville for the tournament's first Education Day game.
Tickets for the 2025 Ingles SoCon Basketball Championship are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics Ticket Office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, or by phone at (828) 227-2401.
2024-25 Southern Conference Postseason Awards List:
Player of the Year: Evangelia Paulk, WOF
Defensive Player of Year: Evangelia Paulk, WOF
Freshman of the Year: Nya Smith, UNCG
Coach of the Year: Trina Patterson, UNCG
Ann Lashley Award: Meghan Downing, ETSU and Libby Privett, WOF - first tie since the award was created
Sixth Woman of the Year: Nya Smith, UNCG
SoCon Women's Basketball First Team *
Courtney Moore, ETSU
Nya Smith, UNCG
Caia Elisaldez, UTC
Avyonce "AC" Carter, WCU
Evangelia Paulk, WOF
Helen Matthews, WOF
SoCon Women's Basketball Second Team
Tate Walters, FUR
Jayde Gamble, UNCG
Khalis Cain, UNCG
Kennedy Langham, SAM
Claire Johnson, SAM
SoCon All Freshman Team *
Carmen Richardson, ETSU
Clare Coyle, FUR
Nya Smith, UNCG
Claire Johnson, SAM
Gianna Corbitt, UTC
Molly Masingale, WOF
SoCon All-Defensive Team:
Meghan Downing, ETSU
Khalis Cain, UNCG
Emily Bowman, SAM
Sigrun Olafsdottir, UTC
Evangelia Paulk, WOF
* (expanded due to a tie)
