NEW ORLEANS – Amari Young has added yet another accolade to her impressive career at Old Dominion as the senior forward has been named to the Sun Belt's All-Conference Second Team, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
A native of North Augusta, South Carolina, Young was the top scorer and rebounder for the Monarchs (20-11, 12-6 Sun Belt) this season with 11.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. She finished second in the league in total rebounds with 245, was third in the conference in rebounds per game, fourth in steals (57), and fifth in steals per game (1.97).
Having already eclipsed 1,000 career points last season, she surpassed 1,500 in 2022-23 and also eclipsed 1,000 career rebounds. Young is currently fifth on ODU's all-time leading rebounders list with 1,141 and needs 26 more to tie ODU Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman for fourth place.
Young recorded eight double-doubles this season and scored in double figures in 20 of the 29 games she both played and started in. She was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week on Dec. 13.
The Monarchs earned the No. 5 seed for this week's Sun Belt Women's Basketball Championship, to be played at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida. ODU will play at 3 p.m. EST this Wednesday and awaits the winner of a Tuesday opening round game between No. 12 seed Georgia State and No. 13 South Alabama. The entire tournament will be streamed on ESPN+ and the Championship Final is scheduled for a 2 p.m. EST tip next Monday, March 6.
2023 Sun Belt Women's Basketball End-of-Year Awards
Coach of the Year: Zenarae Antoine, Texas State
Freshman of the Year: Kelsey Thompson, South Alabama
Newcomer of the Year: Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State
Player of the Year: Kiki Jefferson, James Madison
Defensive Player of the Year: Emma Merriweather, ULM
Sixth Woman of the Year: Peyton McDaniel, James Madison
All-Conference Teams
First Team
Kiki Jefferson, James Madison
Da'Nasia Hood, Texas State
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss
Aja Blount, Coastal Carolina
Second Team
Makayia Hallmon, Troy
Roshala Scott, Marshall
Kennedy Taylor, Texas State
Amari Young, Old Dominion
Izzy Higginbottom, Arkansas State
Third Team
Ja'Mia Hollings, Troy
Lanay Wheaton, Louisiana
Tai'Sheka Porchia, Troy
Deaja Richardson, Coastal Carolina
Emma Merriweather, ULM
Young Named to the Sun Belt's All-Conference Second Team
