Two Lady Gators named to basketball Preseason All-SEC teams

David Rosenberg
·2 min read

Florida is predicted to finish eleventh in Southeastern Conference after a vote was taken by the league’s coaches. They also voted on preseason awards, naming Florida guards Lavender Briggs and Kiara Smith to the All-SEC Preseason First and Second teams, respectively.

Briggs, a junior whose sophomore campaign was cut short due to a foot injury, led the team in scoring in each of her first two seasons. She also became the first Gator in five years to make the All-SEC Second Team in 2021, so expect Florida to lean heavily on her for production this year.

Kiara Smith has played three seasons with Florida after transferring from ASA College in New York. She stepped up big last year, becoming the first player in program history to lead the team in total points, rebounds and assists in a single season.

South Carolina, Texas A&M and Tennessee are predicted to finish at the top of the conference, and Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard was voted as SEC Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year. To cut down on favoritism, coaches aren’t allowed to vote for their own team or players in this process.

Florida’s season begins against Georgia State on November 9.

The full results of the preseason vote can be found below.

Preseason Coaches’ Predictions

Order of Finish

1. South Carolina

2. Texas A&M

3. Tennessee

4. Georgia

5. Kentucky

6. Ole Miss

7. Arkansas

8. LSU

9. Mississippi State

10. Missouri

11. Florida

12. Alabama

13. Auburn

14. Vanderbilt

Player of the Year

Rhyne Howard, Kentucky

First Team All-SEC

Lavender Briggs, Florida

Rhyne Howard, Kentucky

Khayla Pointer, LSU

Shakira Austin, Ole Miss

Rickea Jackson, Mississippi State

Aliyah Boston, South Carolina

Zia Cooke, South Carolina

Rae Burrell, Tennessee

Second Team All-SEC

Amber Ramirez, Arkansas

Kiara Smith, Florida

Que Morrison, Georgia

Jenna Staiti, Georgia

Aijha Blackwell, Missouri

Destanni Henderson, South Carolina

Tamari Key, Tennessee

Jordan Nixon, Texas A&M

Kayla Wells, Texas A&M

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.