ACC announces women’s basketball all-conference selections. Here’s who earned honors
Players from N.C. State, Duke and North Carolina earned All-ACC honors, the league announced Tuesday.
N.C. State’s Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James earned spots on the all-conference first team, while freshman Zoe Brooks landed on the all-freshman team.
The Wolfpack tied Virginia Tech and Florida State with two first-team selections each.
Rivers averages 12.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, with a .405 field goal percentage. She contributed 349 points and team highs in assists (112), blocks (24), steals (65) and made free throws (89) during the regular season.
The junior earned a nod on the all-defensive team, as well.
James averaged 15.6 points per game and 4.5 rebounds on .407 shooting. She’s also dished out 83 assists, knocked down a team-leading 54 3s and contributed 32 steals.
The junior finished second for the league’s “Most Improved” award. James more than doubled her production, which sat at 6.8 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game. She made just 21 3-pointers in her sophomore campaign.
Duke freshman Oluchi Okananwa earned the sixth player of the year award, the first Blue Devil to earn the nod since its inception in 2008. She also earned a spot on the ACC’s all-freshman team.
Okananwa averaged 21.2 minutes per game and led the team with 6.1 rebounds per contest. She added 9.6 points per game in the regular season, as well, scoring in double figures 13 times.
N.C. State’s Brooks averaged 8.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, while ranking No. 2 on the team in assists (105). The freshman has played in all 30 games and started in seven. The rookie finished second in sixth player of the year voting.
UNC’s Deja Kelly and Alyssa Ustby earned All-ACC recognition, as well.
Kelly, named to the first team, led the Tar Heels with 16.8 points per game and shot .353, while adding 3.8 rebounds per contest. She finished with 101 assists and 43 steals. Kelly’s scoring moved her to No. 8 in UNC history for career points (1,823).
Ustby earned second team honors after averaging 12.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per outing, while logging 15 double-doubles this season. The senior averaged a double-double in conference play.
Indya Nivar finished third in sixth player voting. Nivar played every game for the Tar Heels, contributing 6.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She added 42 assists and 41 steals in her second year.
Finally, Reigan Richardson started all 29 games and led the Blue Devils in scoring, with 11.9 points on 43% shooting. She added 2.2 boards per game and tallied 75 assists en route to an All-ACC second team nod.
Felisha Legette-Jack of Syracuse earned coach of the year honors. She led the Orange, which was picked to finish No. 9 in the league, to a 23-6 overall record and 13-5 in conference play in her second year at the helm.
The Wolfpack’s Wes Moore finished third place in voting behind Legette-Jack and Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks. N.C. State (25-5, 13-5 ACC) was picked to finish No. 8 in the conference but goes into the ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed.
Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley won her third straight player of the year award, while earning first team and defensive team honors. She joins Maryland’s Alyssa Thomas (2012-14) and Duke’s Alana Beard (2002-04) as the only women’s basketball players to win ACC player of the year in three consecutive seasons.
Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore joined Kitley as a first-team selection.
Freshman Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame took home rookie of the year as well as making the all-defensive team, first team and all-freshman team.
Pitt’s Liatu King won ACC’s most improved player, while earning first team distinction.
All of the ACC teams are set to be in Greensboro this week. The tournament tips off on Wednesday and runs through Sunday.
All-ACC Honors
Player of the Year: Elizabeth Kitley, Gr., C, Virginia Tech
Defensive Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, Fr., G, Notre Dame
Rookie of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, G, Notre Dame
Coach of the Year: Felisha Legette-Jack, Syracuse
Sixth Player of the Year: Oluchi Okananwa, Fr., G, Duke
Most Improved Player: Liatu King, Sr., F, Pitt
All-ACC First Team
Elizabeth Kitley, Gr., C, Virginia Tech
Dyaisha Fair, Gr., G, Syracuse
Hannah Hidalgo, Fr., G, Notre Dame
Georgia Amoore, Sr., G, Virginia Tech
Ta’Niya Latson, So., G, Florida State
Deja Kelly, Sr., G, North Carolina
Aziaha James, Jr., G, NC State
Saniya Rivers, Jr., G, NC State
Makayla Timpson, Jr., F, Florida State
Liatu King, Sr., F, Pitt
All-ACC Second Team
Maddy Westbeld, Jr., F, Notre Dame
Amari Robinson, Gr., F, Clemson
Sonia Citron, Jr., G, Notre Dame
Alyssa Ustby, Sr., G/F, North Carolina
Kiki Jefferson, Gr., G, Louisville
Kymora Johnson, Fr., G, Virginia
Tonie Morgan, So., G, Georgia Tech
Kara Dunn, So., G, Georgia Tech
Reigan Richardson, Jr., G, Duke
Olivia Cochran, Sr., F, Louisville
All-Defensive Team
Hannah Hidalgo, Fr., G, Notre Dame
Makayla Timpson, Jr., F, Florida State
Elizabeth Kitley, Gr., C, Virginia Tech
Saniya Rivers, Jr., G, NC State
Dontavia Waggoner, Sr., G, Boston College
All-Freshman Team
Hannah Hidalgo, G, Notre Dame
Kymora Johnson, G, Virginia
Zoe Brooks, G, NC State
Oluchi Okananwa, G, Duke
Alyssa Latham, F, Syracuse
ACC Most Improved
Liatu King, Pitt – 237
Aziaha James, NC State – 226
Kara Dunn, Georgia Tech – 121
ACC Sixth Player
Oluchi Okananwa, Duke – 298
Zoe Brooks, NC State – 277
Indya Nivar, North Carolina – 98
ACC Coach of the Year
Felisha Legette-Jack, Syracuse – 293
Kenny Brooks, Virginia Tech – 214
Wes Moore, NC State – 164
This story was originally published March 5, 2024 at 5:52 PM with the headline "ACC announces women’s basketball all-conference selections. Here’s who earned honors."
