Five @WSUWBasketball Honored by League

Four Wright State women's basketball players and head coach Katrina Merriweather have been honored by the Horizon League as conference officials announced its annual awards today. Merriweather was named the Coach of the Year as Mackenzie Taylor was selected to the first team, Symone Simmons to the second team, Angel Baker to the Freshman Team and Emily Vogelpohl to the Defensive Team.

"I am proud of our seniors, Mack, Symone, Emily and the very talented freshman Angel," Merriweather said. "We could make an argument for a couple more, but it shows the selflessness of our players who could have gone other places and put up big numbers but believed in what we could accomplish as a team. The highest honor is the COY Award. This award is for everyone. From my staff, all 15 players, support staff, administration all the way to our practice players. In my humble opinion, we have the best team and support system because it takes everyone to perform well enough for coaches to be recognized. I am appreciative of the respect our program has earned and is being shown by voters. There is more work to do."

Merriweather, in her third season at the helm, picks up her second Coach of the Year honor in three years as she guided the Raiders to their first-ever regular-season championship with a record of 24-6 and a school record 16 conference wins. Her three-year record sits at 72-26. The Raiders started the season slow with a 2-3 record but caught fire, leading the league the entire season.

Taylor, a 5-6 senior from Richmond, IN, has averaged 11.7 points while playing in all 30 games for the Raiders. The guard has hit 57 threes while grabbing 40 steals and collecting 50 assists with a team-best 81% from the line. She collected 24 points against Hofstra and has scored in double digits 19 times. Taylor is one of three Raiders in the 1,000-Point Club.

Simmons, a 5-8 senior from Columbus, OH, has been the quiet leader through the years and will end her career as the first WSU basketball player, men's or women's, to have 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. She has started 28 games this year while playing in all 30, collecting 8.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game with 33 total steals. The guard had her season-high 15 points against UIC and 21 rebounds against Youngstown State with 17 games in double-figure rebounding.

Baker, a 5-8 freshman from Indianapolis, IN, has seen action in all 30 games this year, averaging 9.3 points with 24 steals and 81 assists. The guard had her career-best 27 points at Youngstown State with eight rebounds against Kentucky State. She also collected 21 points in the season opener at Bakersfield and 24 points against Kent State with 20 points at Detroit Mercy in the final weekend of the season.

Vogelpohl, a 5-8 senior from Cincinnati, OH, celebrates her second trip to the All-Defensive Team after being honored last year as well. The guard had team highs with 52 steals and 81 assists while averaging 9.0 points and 4.3 rebounds. A member of the WSU 1,000-Point Club, she was named the All-Freshman Team her rookie season. She has posted four steal in three different games this year while collecting double figure scoring 13 times and a season-high 20 points against Youngstown State.

Wright State will open the Little Caesars Horizon League Tournament Tuesday night by hosting number eight seed Oakland at 5:30 PM. The winner will advance to the semifinals at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit for a game next Monday with the championship played on Tuesday.

Player of the Year: Macee Williams, IUPUI
Coach of the Year: Katrina Merriweather, Wright State
Freshman of the Year: Savanna Crockett, Cleveland State
Sixth Player of the Year: Mary Dunn, Youngstown State
Defensive Player of the Year: Jen Wellnitz, Green Bay

All-League First Team (alphabetical by school)
Mariah Miller, Cleveland State
Jen Wellnitz, Green Bay
Macee Williams, IUPUI
Mackenzie Taylor, Wright State
Mary Dunn, Youngstown State

All-League Second Team (alphabetical by school)
Laken James, Green Bay
Taylor Jones, Oakland
Symone Simmons, Wright State
Sarah Cash, Youngstown State
Chelsea Olson, Youngstown State

All-Freshman Team (alphabetical by school)
Savanna Crockett, Cleveland State
Megan Walstad, Milwaukee
Ally Niece, Northern Kentucky
Kahlaijah Dean, Oakland
Angel Baker, Wright State

All-Defensive Team (alphabetical by school)
Mariah White, Cleveland State
Jen Wellnitz, Green Bay
Ryaen Johnson, Milwaukee
Jada Nneji, UIC
Emily Vogelpohl, Wright State

Players Mentioned

Angel Baker

Symone Simmons

Mackenzie Taylor

Emily Vogelpohl

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