NEW ORLEANS – App State women’s basketball senior guard Michaela Porter (Pittsburgh, Pa./Obama Academy) was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team, as the league announced the preseason awards on Thursday.
Porter made the third team for the first conference honor of her career. She is coming off a career season for the Black and Gold, averaging a career-high 8.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. The Pittsburgh, Pa, native was one of the top defensive players in the league, as her 53 steals and 1.9 steals per game were both second in the league. Because of her defensive prowess, Porter was nominated for Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, and returns as the leading scorer and rebounder going into the season.
She posted 14 games with at least 10 points while grabbing at least 10 boards in four contests. Porter was 12th in the conference in defensive win shares (1.3) and fourth in steal rate at 3.6 percent according to Her Hoop Stats.
Her career year helped the Mountaineers finish 15-12 overall and tied their best league mark since joining the conference at 10-8. App State enjoyed a second winning season in the past three years and a second Sun Belt semifinals trip in the same span.
Porter joins seven returners and eight newcomers for the 2021-22 season. App State opens the campaign against Lees-McRae on Nov. 9. App State picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll on Wednesday.
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2021-22 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Ty’Reona Doucet, Louisiana (Sr., F, Ville Platte, La.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Aja Blount, Coastal Carolina (Sr., F, Northampton, Pa.)
Ty’Reona Doucet, Louisiana (Sr., F, Ville Platte, La.)
Brandi Williams, Louisiana (Jr., G, Lake Charles, La.)
Da’Nasia Hood, Texas State (Sr., F, San Antonio, Texas)
Felmas Koranga, Troy (Jr., F, Nakuru, Kenya)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Jireh Washington, Arkansas State (Jr., G, Memphis, Tenn.)
Kierra Brimzy, ULM (R-Jr., G, Natchitoches, La.)
Terryn Milton, UTA (Sr., G, Owasso, Okla.)
Jasmine Robinson, Troy (Sr., G, Augusta, Ga.)
Tiyah Johnson, Troy (Sr., G, Phenix City, Ala.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Michaela Porter, App State (Sr., G/F, Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Deaja Richardson, Coastal Carolina (Jr., G, Kernersville, N.C.)
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern (So., G/F, Jesup, Ga.)
Kennedy Taylor, Texas State (Sr., G, Dallas, Texas)
Lauryn Thompson, Texas State (R-Jr., F, Arlington, Texas)
