SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota State sophomore Brooklyn Meyer was named both Summit League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in a vote by the League’s head coaches, athletic communication directors and select media members, League officials announced Thursday.
 
Meyer became the first sophomore since Oral Roberts’ Kevi Luper (2011) to garner the highest individual honor. The Larchwood, Iowa, native is also the first player since Luper to be named the Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. It is only the sixth time in League history that a player has earned both awards during the same season (Tiffany Kyser, IUPUI-2003; Zane Teilane, Western Illinois-2005 & 2006; Luper, Oral Roberts-2010 & 2011). 
 
The Jackrabbit forward averaged 18.7 ppg and 7.3 rpg, while shooting 64.8 percent from the field. Meyer recorded double-digit scoring efforts in all 16 League games, seven of which were 20-plus point performances. She scored a career-high-tying 29 points on 14-for-17 shooting from the field in the final game of the regular season against North Dakota State (Mar. 2).
 
On the defensive end, Meyer has helped the Jackrabbits become the best rebounding team in the League and the second-best blocking team as she ranked third individually on the glass and first in blocks (1.7 bpg).
 
Oral Roberts redshirt sophomore Jalei Oglesby was voted the Sixth Woman of the Year making her the first Golden Eagle since Faith Ihim in 2015-16 to earn the honor. Oglesby has added a consistent stat line off the bench for ORU contributing 13.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, and 1.1 apg throughout League action. The guard tallied double-digit scoring efforts in 13 of 16 League games including two 20-plus point performances.
 
Fellow Golden Eagle Emily Robinson was named the Freshman of the Year giving Oral Roberts the award three of the last four seasons. Robinson started all 16 League contests, reaching double figures in the scoring column in 11 of those contests. She dropped a career-high-tying 19 points on two different occasions during League play. The first time against Denver (Dec. 31) and the second coming against North Dakota (Feb. 17). On the road at Kansas City (Mar. 2), she captured her first double-double of League play with 11 points and a career-high 10 assists. During League action, she averaged 11.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 2.9 apg.
 
ORU’s leading scorer, Taleyah Jones, was named the Newcomer of the Year and is the first Golden Eagle since Vicky McIntyre (2014-15) to walk away with the award. Jones started every game of League play and averaged a team-best 18.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.7 apg. She reached double-digit points in all but one League game. Jones poured in a career-high 37 points at South Dakota after she shot a blistering 12-for-17 from the field and 5-for-7 from behind the arc. It was the first time since the 2011-12 season the Golden Eagles defeated the Coyotes in Vermillion.
 
For the fourth consecutive year and eighth time overall, South Dakota State’s Aaron Johnston took home the Coach of the Year accolade. The Jackrabbits ran the table in the regular season once again to become the first team in Summit League history to finish with back-to-back unblemished regular seasons. It also marked the 10th regular season crown for South Dakota State under Johnston's guidance.
 
In 24 seasons at the helm of the Jackrabbits, Johnston has helped his squads surpass 20-plus wins 20 times, including 12 straight. SDSU has won its last 47 Summit League regular season games, which matches the 10^th longest regular season conference win streak in NCAA Division I history.
 
The All-Summit League first team includes Meyer, North Dakota’s Kacie Borowicz (21.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.6 apg, 91.8 FT%), North Dakota State’s Elle Evans (18.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 55.3 3PT%, 96.6 FT%), Oral Roberts’ Hannah Cooper (17.2 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.3 rpg, 83.2 FT%), South Dakota’s Grace Larkins (15.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 5.0 apg, 86.6 FT%) and South Dakota State’s Paige Meyer (13.7 ppg, 4.4 apg, 3.2 rpg, 55.3 FG%).
 
The five-player second team featured the ORU duo of Jones and Ruthie Udoumoh (11.3 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 51.1 FG%), Denver’s Jordan Jones (16.1 ppg, 6.8  rpg, 3.1 apg), NDSU’s Heaven Hamling (16.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.1 apg) and St. Thomas’ Jade Hill (13.1 ppg, 4.1 apg, 2.8 rpg).
 
Honorable mention accolades went to Oglesby, DU’s Emma Smith (12.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.6 apg), Omaha’s Grace Cave (14.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 83.3 FT%), UST’s Amber Scalia (16.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 40.5 FG%) and SDSU’s Madison Mathiowetz (13.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, 86.4 FT%).
 
Brooklyn, Udoumoh, Evans and Cooper also collected All-Defensive team honors along with SDSU’s Tori Nelson (7.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.9 apg, 90.9 FT%).
 
The League’s All-Newcomer team featured ORU’s Taleyah and Oglesby, Kansas City’s Alayna Contreras (11.9 ppg, 2.8 apg, 71.8 FT%) and Dominique Phillips (9.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 82.4 FT%) and South Dakota’s Kendall Holmes (12.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.0 apg).
 
The inaugural All-Freshman team saw Robinson, KC’s Emani Bennett (8.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg), UND’s Kiera Pemberton (11.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 52.5 FG%), NDSU’s Abby Krzewinski (7.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 51.9 FG%) and SDSU’s Jenna Hopp (5.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.6 apg).

All of the League’s nine teams will make the trip to Sioux Falls this weekend for The Summit League Women’s Basketball Championship. The championship starts Friday at 4:30 p.m. CT when No. 8 Kansas City meets No. 9 Omaha at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
 
The first round game and all four quarterfinals will be televised on Midco Sports and be streamed on the Summit League Network powered by the Midco Sports Plus app.
 
The semifinals and Tuesday’s championship game set for 3:30 p.m. CT will be televised live on CBS Sports Network.

2023-24 Summit League Women’s Basketball Awards
All-Summit League First Team
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State (So., F)
Elle Evans, North Dakota State (So., G)*
Paige Meyer, South Dakota State (Jr., G)**
Kacie Borowicz, North Dakota (5^th, G)**
Grace Larkins, South Dakota (Jr., G)*
Hannah Cooper, Oral Roberts (Gr., G)*

All-Summit League Second Team
Heaven Hamling, North Dakota State (Sr., G)***
Taleyah Jones, Oral Roberts (So., G)
Jordan Jones, Denver (So., G)
Ruthie Udoumoh, Oral Roberts (Sr., G)
Jade Hill, St. Thomas (Jr., G)

All-Summit League Honorable Mention
Amber Scalia, St. Thomas (So., G)
Grace Cave, Omaha (Jr., G)
Madison Mathiowetz, South Dakota State (So., G)
Jalei Oglesby, Oral Roberts (RSo., G)
Emma Smith, Denver (So., Gr)*
 
^Player of the year automatically earns a spot on the first team
*previous all-league selections noted above
 
All-Defensive Team
Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State (So., F)
Ruthie Udoumoh, Oral Roberts (Sr., G)
Tori Nelson, South Dakota State (Sr., F)
Elle Evans, North Dakota State (So., G)
Hannah Cooper, Oral Roberts (Gr., G)
 
All-Newcomer Team
Taleyah Jones, Oral Roberts (So., G)
Jalei Oglesby, Oral Roberts (RSo., G)
Kendall Holmes, South Dakota (Jr., G)
Alayna Contreras, Kansas City (So., G)
Dominique Phillips, Kansas City (Gr., F)
 
All-Freshman Team
Emily Robinson, Oral Roberts (Fr., F)
Abby Krzewinski, North Dakota State (Fr., G)
Kiera Pemberton, North Dakota (Fr., F)
Emani Bennett, Kansas City (Fr., G)
Jenna Hopp, South Dakota State (Fr., G)
 
Player of the Year: Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State
Newcomer of the Year: Taleyah Jones, Oral Roberts
Freshman of the Year: Emily Robinson, Oral Roberts
Sixth Woman of the Year: Jalei Oglesby, Oral Roberts
Defensive Player of the Year: Brooklyn Meyer, South Dakota State
Coach of the Year: Aaron Johnston, South Dakota State