AUBURN, Ala. – Two Auburn women's basketball players have earned postseason honors from the Southeastern Conference, the league office announced Tuesday.
Senior Janiah McKay was named to the All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team, and freshman Robyn Benton earned a selection to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
McKay, a senior from Gainesville, Fla., is Auburn's leading scorer with 13.8 points per game and is also the Tigers' leader in assists with 4.3 per game. She has been the Tigers' top scorer in 10 games this year, including six games where she topped the 20-point mark. McKay has also been one of Auburn's top defensive players, averaging 2.2 steals per game to rank third in the SEC.
Benton, who came to Auburn from Conyers, Ga., has averaged 6.1 points off the bench to rank among the top SEC freshmen in scoring. She scored a season-high 16 points to share the team lead in her collegiate debut vs. Grambling State on Nov. 6, and she has scored in double-digits three times in SEC play. In Auburn's comeback win at Vanderbilt on Jan. 17, she hit the game-winning jumper and free throw with 8.6 seconds left to secure the Tigers' win, earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
McKay is the 28th Auburn player to earn All-SEC honors and the fourth All-SEC selection under head coach Terri Williams-Flournoy, joining Hasina Muhammad (2013, second team), Tyrese Tanner (2014, first team) and Katie Frerking (2017, second team). She is the sixth Auburn player to earn All-Defensive Team honors. Benton is the 16th all-time Auburn pick for the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Auburn will be the No. 6 seed in this week's SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C. The Tigers will play in the second round at approximately 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday against the winner of Wednesday's game between Alabama and Vanderbilt.
2019 SEC Women's Basketball Awards
All-SEC First Team
Sophie Cunningham, Missouri
Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
Caliya Robinson, Georgia
Anriel Howard, Mississippi State
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Ayana Mitchell, LSU
Maci Morris, Kentucky
All-SEC Second Team
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Te'a Cooper, South Carolina
Janiah McKay, Auburn
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Alexis Jennings, South Carolina
Mariella Fasoula, Vanderbilt
Crystal Allen, Ole Miss
All-Freshman Team
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Zaay Green, Tennessee
Destanni Henderson, South Carolina
Victaria Saxton, South Carolina
Brinae Alexander, Vanderbilt
Akira Levy, Missouri
Robyn Benton, Auburn
Blair Green, Kentucky
All-Defensive Team
Taylor Murray, Kentucky
Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State
Caliya Robinson, Georgia
Janiah McKay, Auburn
Jazzmun Holmes, Mississippi State
Player of the Year: Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State
Freshman of the Year: Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Defensive Player of the Year: Teaira McCowan, Mississippi State
6th Woman of the Year: Cierra Porter, Missouri
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Maci Morris, Kentucky
Co-Coaches of the Year: Vic Schaefer, Mississippi State, and Matthew Mitchell, Kentucky