LSU’s Mulkey, Pointer highlight 2022 All-Louisiana Women’s College Basketball Team

LAFAYETTE – Highlighted by Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey and All-America performer Khayla Porter, LSU claimed two of the four specialty awards as the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) released its 2021-22 Women’s College Basketball team on Wednesday.

Mulkey, in her first season at the helm at LSU, was the overwhelming choice as the state’s Coach of the Year while Porter, named to three All-America teams and a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, was the overwhelming choice as the state’s Player of the Year.

Joining the LSU duo with special honors as Tulane’s Moon Ursin was named the state’s Newcomer of the Year with McNeese’s Kaili Chamberlin picked as Freshman of the Year.

The 20-member team was nominated by the state’s Women’s Basketball sports information directors and selected by a statewide panel of SIDs and media members.

Mulkey, named the National Coach of the Year by both the Associated Press and The Athletic, returned to her native Louisiana and led LSU to the greatest turnaround by a first-year coach in SEC history. Under Mulkey’s guidance, LSU posted a 26-6 record and won its most games since the 2007-08 campaign. The Tigers finished No. 2 in the SEC and were ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll of the season.

LSU compiled a 6-1 record against ranked opponents and was a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, hosting first and second round games in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The Tigers led the SEC in scoring with 73.72 points per game (up from 60.2 last season) and shot 44.3 percent from the floor to rank No. 2 in the SEC.

Leading the way for LSU was Pointer, a two-time LSWA Player of the Year. The graduate student averaged 19.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.8 steals in helping lead LSU to 26 wins on the floor and a 15-3 record in SEC play.

One of the best guards across America, Pointer was a top-five finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Point Guard Award and was named to the All-SEC First Team as well as to multiple All-America Teams (AP and Sports Illustrated Second Team; USBWA Third Team).

Pointer was also named to the Naismith Trophy Watchlist, the Wooden Award National Ballot, the Wade Trophy Watchlist and the Dawn Staley Award Watchlist. The Marietta, Ga., native set new career-highs in scoring, rebounds and assists and started in all 32 of LSU’s games and showed durability, leading the SEC with 37.0 minutes played per game.

Ursin, who played for Mulkey at Baylor from 2017-20, averaged 14.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.2 steals in her lone season for Tulane while helping lead the team to a 21-10 record and 11-5 mark in the American Athletic Conference.

The Destrehan, La., native was named the AAC’s Newcomer of the Year and was a first-team All-AAC selection.

In her lone season in Uptown, Ursin led Tulane in scoring, rebounding, three-point field goals made and minutes. She recorded 11 double-doubles to lead the team and rank third in the AAC. She ranked in the top five of the conference in scoring, rebounding, free throw percentage, assist to turnover ratio and minutes played.

She notched the first triple-double in program history with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against Troy and scored a career-high 28 points on 10 of 17 shooting in a double-overtime victory over TCU. Ursin tallied double figures in scoring in 20 games including four games with 20 or more points.

Chamberlin led McNeese in scoring (11.0) and ranked sixth overall in Southland Conference games at a 12.8 clip. The Medford, Ore., native averaged 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists as she was named the SLC’s Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-SLC selection.

She scored in double figures in 12 games and was the Cowgirls’ leading scorer four times. Chamberlin made a career high seven three-pointers against Centenary where she scored a career high 29 points.

Joining Porter and Ursin on the first team was LSU’s Alexis Morris and repeat first-team members Ty’Reona Doucet of Louisiana and Louisiana Tech’s Keiunna Walker. The second team consisted of Kieyoomia Benally of Louisiana Christian, Loyola’s Kennedy Hansberry, Alexus Holt of Grambling, Anna Larr Roberson of Louisiana Tech and LSU Shreveport’s De’Auja Thompson.

Chamberlin was joined on the third team by Tay Cannon of Loyola, Kelsey Thaxton of LSU Alexandria, Southeastern’s Caitlyn Williams and ULM’s Kyren Whittington.

The Northwestern State tandem of Monette Bolden and Candice Parramore, New Orleans’ Jomyra Mathis, SLU’s Hailey Giaratano and Taylor Thomas of Loyola were each honorable mention selections.

For more information on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, visit the official website at www.lswa.info.

2022 ALL-LOUISIANA WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAM
Selected by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA)

FIRST TEAM
Khayla Pointer, LSU – 2x LSWA Player of the Year; First-team All-SEC; Nancy Lieberman Award Finalist
Ty’Reona Doucet, Louisiana – SBC Defensive Player of the Year; First Team All-SBC
Alexis Morris, LSU – All-SEC Second Team
Moon Ursin, Tulane – AAC Newcomer of the Year; First-Team All-AAC
Keiunna Walker, Louisiana Tech – First-Team Conference USA

SECOND TEAM
Kieyoomia Benally, Louisiana Christian – RRAC Newcomer of the Year; First Team All-RRAC
Kennedy Hansberry, Loyola – SSAC Player of the Year; NAIA Third-Team All-America
Alexus Holt, Grambling – First-Team All-SWAC; BOXTOROW All-American
Anna Larr Roberson, Louisiana Tech – Second-Team Conference USA
De’Auja Thompson, LSU Shreveport – First Team All-RRAC

THIRD TEAM
Tay Cannon, Loyola – NAIA All-America Honorable Mention; First-Team All-SSAC
Kaili Chamberlin, McNeese – Southland Conference Freshman of the Year; Second-Team All-SLC
Kelsey Thaxton, LSU Alexandria – First-Team All-RRAC
Kyren Whittington, ULM – Third-Team All-SBC
Caitlyn Williams, Southeastern – First Team All-SLC

HONORABLE MENTION
Monette Bolden, Northwestern State; Hailey Giaratano, Southeastern; Jomyra Mathis, New Orleans; Candice Parramore, Northwestern State; Taylor Thomas, Loyola

Player of the Year – Khayla Pointer LSU
Newcomer of the Year – Moon Ursin Tulane
Freshman of the Year – Kaili Chamberlin, McNeese
Coach of the Year – Kim Mulkey, LSU