MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Southern States Athletic Conference announced its women's basketball postseason awards Wednesday evening, and the Loyola Wolf Pack was well represented. Alissa O'Dell was named the SSAC Player of the Year, Deniya Thornton was the Defensive Player of the Year, Chandler Caver was awarded the Freshman of the Year honor, and Kellie Kennedy was voted the Coach of the Year.
Caitlin Travis joined O'Dell and Thornton on the SSAC All-Conference First Team, SeQuoia Carroll made the Second Team, and Tiarra McPipe and Caver made the All-Freshman Team. Isabella April, Addison Luker, Ava Shields, Tiana Smith, Thornton, and Travis represented the Wolf Pack on the SSAC All-Academic Team, and April was Loyola's representative on the SSAC Champions of Character Team.
O'Dell became the fifth different student-athlete to be named the SSAC Player of the Year under Kennedy, joining Sandra Cannady (2022-23, 2023-2024), Kennedy Hansberry (2021-22), Kaila Anthony (2019-20), and Zoie Miller (2017-18) with the prestigious honor.
The Zachary, Louisiana, native leads the team with 16.3 points and eight rebounds per game while also recording 28 assists, 24 steals, and 11 blocks this year. Her 55.3 field goal percentage leads the SSAC this year, while her scoring average is the third-highest in the conference. This is the third straight year in which O'Dell has been honored by the conference, earning All-Freshman honors in 2024 and First Team All-Conference in 2025. She was also a two-time SSAC Offensive Player of the Week recipient this season on December 8 and January 19.
Thornton is the fourth student-athlete to earn the SSAC Defensive Player of the Year under Kennedy, as Kennedy Hansberry (2022-23), Taylor Thomas (2021-22), and Di'Mond Jackson (2017-18) also received that award.
Thornton has gotten it done on both sides of the ball this year, averaging 15.8 points and six rebounds per game, plus 64 steals and 23 blocks, both of which are team highs this year. She has also made a team-high 32 three-pointers. Like O'Dell, she made the All-Freshman team in 2024 before two First Team All-Conference honors. She's earned four different SSAC weekly awards this season, three Defensive Player of the Week (Dec. 1, Jan. 12, and Feb. 9) and one Offensive (Jan. 12). She also was named NAIA Offensive Player of the Week on Jan. 13.
Both O'Dell and Thornton scored their 1,000th career point on Feb. 7 in a win against Thomas University.
Travis, who earned her second career All-Conference honor but her first appearance on the First Team All-SSAC, was the third-leading scorer on the team at 11.1 points per game. She also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, adding 23 steals and 22 three-pointers.
Caver joins Jasmine Brewer (2010-11) as the only two Wolf Pack players to receive the SSAC Freshman of the Year honor under Kennedy. She led the Pack with 88 assists (3.4 per game), a number that was top-5 in the SSAC, while averaging 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. She also totaled 21 steals. Joining Caver on the All-Freshman Team, Tiarra McPipe became Loyola's leading scorer off the bench during the season, averaging 5.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Kennedy picked up her fifth SSAC Coach of the Year award as well, leading the Wolf Pack to her 14th 20-win season in her 18 seasons with the program. Loyola also won the program's fifth regular-season title, giving her 12 total conference championships between regular-season and tournament titles.
SSAC Women's Basketball Postseason Awards
Coach of the Year: Kellie Kennedy, Loyola
Assistant Coach of the Year: Jake Mitchell, Faulkner
Player of the Year: Alissa O'Dell, Loyola
Defensive Player of the Year: Deniya Thornton, Loyola
6th Woman of the Year: Ella Jane Connell, Faulkner
Newcomer of the Year: Ramie Reid, UT Southern
Freshman of the Year: Chandler Caver, Loyola
Sportsmanship Award: Abraham Baldwin
First-Team All-Conference
Silkiari Vazquez-Troche, UT Southern
Shaneal Corpuz, William Carey
Shakiria Chaney, Abraham Baldwin
Ruthie Smith, Faulkner
Maddie Kirk, Blue Mountain Christian
LaTarius Montgomery, Thomas
Deniya Thornton, Loyola
Caitlin Travis, Loyola
Ashley Dickey, UT Southern
Alissa O'Dell, Loyola
Second-Team All-Conference
SeQuoia Carroll, Loyola
Rebecca Walter, Blue Mountain Christian
Ramie Reid, UT Southern
Morgan Holland-Dewitt, Faulkner
Madelyn Ladner, William Carey
Keyarra Scottland, Faulkner
Kenya Robinson, Life
Aniyah Offutt, Life
Andrian Stewart, Brewton-Parker Christian
Addyson Sherer, William Carey
All-Freshman Team
Chandler Caver, Loyola
Taya Totten, UT Southern
Tiarra McPipe, Loyola
Abbilyn Teter, UT Southern
Zyi"Kiera King, Thomas
Athletic Solutions All-Academic Team
Ansley Burleson, UT Southern
Marypaz Martinez Calvo, UT Southern
Ramie Reid, UT Southern
Brooklyn Cuevas, William Carey
Bailey Devall, William Carey
Addyson Sherer, William Carey
Shaneal Corpuz, William Carey
Jenna Garriga, William Carey
Leah Sutton, William Carey
Anna Rose Engle, William Carey
Maddie Ladner, William Carey
Kaden McCorvey, Life
Aniyah Offut, Life
Kenya Robinson, Life
Zayjah Knight, Life
Brianna Pope, Life
Shakiria Chaney, Abraham Baldwin
Zamiyah Hosley, Abraham Baldwin
Dailey Jefferson, Abraham Baldwin
Reese Riddle, Abraham Baldwin
Megan Schultz, Abraham Baldwin
Brianna Wimberly, Abraham Baldwin
Carmen Bridges, Point
Zariah Fannin, Point
Madison Nesbit, Point
Isabella Carlson, Blue Mountain Christian
Kathryn Echols, Blue Mountain Christian
Brooklyn Hodum, Blue Mountain Christian
Maddie Kirk, Blue Mountain Christian
Lindsey Murr, Blue Mountain Christian
Rebecca Walter, Blue Mountain Christian
Kaziah Terrell, Brewton-Parker Christian
Lauren Pean, Brewton-Parker Christian
Sydney Beasley, Brewton-Parker Christian
JaKaYah Draughn, Brewton-Parker Christian
Charity Fantory, Brewton-Parker Christian
Deondra Page, Brewton-Parker Christian
Zaria Wilson, Brewton-Parker Christian
Destiny Hill, Thomas
Isabella April, Loyola
Addison Luker, Loyola
Ava Shields, Loyola
Tiana Smith, Loyola
Deniya Thornton, Loyola
Caitlin Travis, Loyola
Jada A Johnson, Mobile
Lamaria Jones, Mobile
Mariona Pontnou, Mobile
Deja Pryor, Mobile
Avery Rogers, Faulkner
Morgan Holland, Faulkner
Sarah Wisniowski, Faulkner
Ruthie Smith, Faulkner
Savannah Crimm, Faulkner
Keyarra Scottland, Faulkner
Sydney Steward, Faulkner
Champions of Character Team
Marypaz Martinez, UT Southern
Reese Riddle, Abraham Baldwin
Isabella Carlson, Blue Mountain Christian
Kaziah Terrell, Brewton-Parker Christian
Anna Rose Engle, William Carey
Vika Afungia, Life
Ella Jane Connell, Faulkner
Isabella April, Loyola
Loralee Faulkner, Mobile
Aaliyah Ringold, Thomas
Zariah Fannin, Point
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