SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference announced the 2021-22 women's basketball postseason awards Tuesday. Selections include the coaches' all-conference teams and specialty awards in addition to the Southern Conference Sports Media Association all-conference teams and awards. 

Furman’s Tierra Hodges was tabbed the player of the year by both the coaches and the media, while Mercer guard Erin Houpt was named the freshman of the year by the coaches and co-freshman of the year by the media alongside Samford center Sussy Ngulefac. Mercer head coach Susie Gardner, in her 12th season as the leader of the Bears, was voted coach of the year by both the coaches and media. 

Mercer guard/forward Shannon Titus was named the defensive player of the year by the coaches for the third consecutive season and UNCG’s Aja Boyd was the winner of the Ann Lashley Inspiration Award.

The 2022 Ingles Southern Conference Women's Basketball Championship begins Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Asheville, North Carolina. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+ and select Nexstar affiliates.
 
Coaches All-Southern Conference Women's Basketball Teams

Player of the Year
Tierra Hodges, Sr., F, Furman
 
Freshman of the Year
Erin Houpt, G, Mercer
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Shannon Titus, 5th, G/F, Mercer
 
Coach of the Year
Susie Gardner, Mercer
 
Ann Lashley Inspiration Award Winner
Aja Boyd, Gr., G/F, UNCG
 
First team
Tierra Hodges, Sr., Furman
Amoria Neal-Tysor, Sr., Mercer
Shannon Titus, 5th, Mercer
Andrea Cournoyer, Jr., Samford
Jackie Carman, Sr., Wofford

Second team
Tate Walters, So., Furman
Jaron Dougherty, Sr., Mercer
Aja Boyd, Gr., UNCG
Abbey Cornelius, Jr., Chattanooga
Lilly Hatton, Jr., Wofford

All-defensive team
Shannon Titus, 5th, Mercer
Andrea Cournoyer, Jr., Samford
Abbey Cornelius, Jr., Chattanooga
Joi Reid, So., Western Carolina
Reagan Rapert, Fr., Wofford
 
All-freshman team
Niveya Henley, Furman
Erin Houpt, Mercer
Isys Grady, UNCG
Sussy Ngulefac, Samford
Reagan Rapert, Wofford

SoCon Sports Media Association (SCSMA) All-Southern Conference Women's Basketball Teams

Player of the Year
Tierra Hodges, Sr., F, Furman
 
Co-Freshmen of the Year
Erin Houpt, G, Mercer
Sussy Ngulefac, C, Samford
 
Coach of the Year
Susie Gardner, Mercer
 
First team
Tierra Hodges, Sr., Furman
Amoria Neal-Tysor, Sr., Mercer
Shannon Titus, 5th, Mercer
Andrea Cournoyer, Jr., Samford
Jackie Carman, Sr., Wofford

Second team
Grace Van Rij, Sr., Furman
Tate Walters, So. Furman
Jaron Doughtery, Sr., Mercer
Aja Boyd, Gr., UNCG
Abbey Cornelius, Jr., Chattanooga
Lilly Hatton, Jr., Wofford

Third team
Courtney Moore, Fr., ETSU
Natalie Armstrong, Sr., Samford
Sussy Ngulefac, Fr., Samford
Niyah Lutz, Sr., Wofford
Alexis Tomlin, Sr., Wofford

All-freshman team
Nigeria Harkless, Mercer
Erin Houpt, Mercer
Isys Grady, UNCG
Sussy Ngulefac, Samford
Reagan Rapert, Wofford
 

Notes

• Tierra Hodges is Furman’s first SoCon Player of the Year since DeShara Shealey was the coaches’ pick in 2002-03, making her the first Paladin in 19 years to earn player of the year honors.   
• Erin Houpt is Mercer’s third freshman of the year and the first since Linnea Rosendal in 2015-16.
• After being the first Mercer player to be named defensive player of the year in 2019-20, Shannon Titus holds on to the title and becomes the first player to earn the accolade in three consecutive seasons. Last season, she joined Sophia Aleksandravicius of Davidson (2011-12 and 2012-13), Alicia Payne of Chattanooga (2014-15 and 2015-16) and Erica Haynes Overton of ETSU (2017-18 and 2018-19) in clinching the honor in two consecutive seasons.   
• Susie Gardner earns her fourth coach of the year honor after being named the coach of the year by both the coaches and the media. Gardner was named Coach of the Year in 2015-16 before securing the honor in consecutive seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
• Tierra Hodges, Shannon Titus, and Andrea Cournoyer are first-team selections by the coaches for the second straight season.
• Since joining the league in 2014, Mercer has had at least one member on the all-conference first team each year.
• The coaches and media had the same five players on their respective first teams. The groups had five players in common on the second teams, with the media team including six players due to a tie in the voting. Furman’s Grace Van Rij joined the quintet on the media’s second team.
• All eight league teams were represented on the media teams, while seven were represented on the coaches teams.