FRISCO, Texas – Southeastern produced three selections on the 2021-22 Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference teams, announced Tuesday. In total, six institutions are represented among the preseason all-conference roster, with all five first-team honorees serving as automatic selections after earning all-conference honors this past season.
The Lady Lions garnered two automatic first-team nods in Morgan Carrier and Hailey Giaratano. The pair was named to the 2020-21 all-conference third team. Last season, Carrier averaged 12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game on 45.1-percent shooting from the field and 43.3 percent from beyond the arc. Teammate Giaratano helped guide SLU to a 11-8 record in the regular season. Giaratano averaged 11 ppg in league play and sat first on the team with an 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. Caitlyn Williams joined them with a spot on the preseason second team after starting six games in conference play and averaging 10.9 points per game on 62.3-percent shooting from the field.
HBU placed Timia Jefferson on the first team after earning a spot on the 2020-21 All-Conference first team. Last season, Jefferson sat third in the Southland with 15.0 ppg and ranked fourth in steals with 2.8 per game. Kennedy Wilson was selected to the second team as she led the Huskies with 31.3 minutes played over 22 games on a 37.0 percent shooting from the arc and 3.5 assists per game.
Nicholls accounted for two all-conference honorees in automatic first teamer Chelsea Cain and second-teamer Chyna Allen. Cain finished second in the league with 18 ppg and 9.3 rebounds per game and earned a spot on the 2020-21 All-Conference First Team and All-Tournament Team. Allen finished third on the team with 8.8 ppg, scored in double figures 10 times, including a career-high 19 at HBU and registered 18 points in the tournament win over Abilene Christian.
McNeese returns five letterwinners for the 2021-22 season including first-team honoree Divine Tanks. Tanks averaged 10.3 ppg., 7.3 rebounds per game and paced the Cowgirls with five double doubles and a 43.7 field goal percentage.
UIW and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will round out the preseason all-conference awards with one second-team honoree each. Second-teamer Jaaucklyn Moore led the way for the Cardinals, while Alecia Westbrook represented the Islanders on the second team.
The preseason teams were chosen by a poll of the conference’s head coaches. Voters were not allowed to select their institution’s players.
The Southland women’s basketball season gets underway Tuesday, Nov. 9. All eight schools kick off conference play in the Southland Conference Preseason Tip-Off Event in Katy, Texas, Jan. 3-5., and will culminate at the 2021 Southland Conference Tournament, March 10-13.
2021-22 Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Teams
| First Team | School | Pos. | Class | Hometown |
| Timia Jefferson * | HBU | G | Jr. | Mansfield, Texas |
| Divine Tanks * | McNeese | F | Jr. | Lake Charles, La. |
| Chelsea Cain * | Nicholls | F | Jr. | Prairieville, La. |
| Morgan Carrier * | Southeastern | G/F | Sr. | New Iberia, La. |
| Hailey Giaratano * | Southeastern | G | So. | Ponchatoula, La. |
| Second Team | School | Pos. | Class | Hometown |
| Kennedy Wilson | HBU | G | So. | Mansfield, Texas |
| Jaaucklyn Moore | UIW | G | So. | Round Rock, Texas |
| Chyna Allen | Nicholls | G | Sr. | Gulfport, Miss. |
| Caitlyn Williams | Southeastern | F | Sr. | Brusly, La. |
| Alecia Westbrook | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi | F/C | Jr. | Kansas City, Mo. |
* Automatic Selection, 2020-21 All-Conference Team Member
{Courtesy: release from Southland Conference}