University of Massachusets Athletics
Photo by: Chris Tucci - UMass Athletics
Women’s Basketball Selected As Atlantic 10 Preseason Favorites
October 18, 2022 | Women's Basketball
Breen and Taylor earn A-10 Preseason All-Conference First Team honors, while Philoxy tabs Preseason All-Conference Second and All-Defensive Team awards.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – University of Massachusetts women's basketball team was selected as the Atlantic 10 Preseason favorites with 225 points and all 15 first-place votes after winning the 2021-22 A-10 Championship title last season. The Minutewomen were chosen ahead of La Salle (188 points), Rhode Island (184 points), Fordham (183 points) and VCU (152 points) in the top-five.
In addition, the league announced the A-10 Preseason Awards, placing graduate student Sam Breen and senior Sydney Taylor on the All-Conference First Team, while graduate student Destiney Philoxy landed on the All-Conference Second Team and the All-Defensive Team. Breen received A-10 Player of the Year honors last year. She also collected the A-10 Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, All-Conference First Team and All-Academic Team accolades. Taylor and Philoxy both garnered A-10 All-Conference Second Team awards, as Breen and Taylor were placed on the conference's All-Championship Team last season.
Breen finished the year with 571 points (17.3 per game) and 332 rebounds (10.1 per game) to lead the team. She tallied 17 double-doubles on the season, tying for 18th in the nation and becoming the only A-10 player last year to record 10-plus double-doubles.
Taylor totaled 526 points (15.9 per game) and recorded 83 made three-point field goals, averaging 2.5 per game. She completed the season second in the league with her three-pointers made, while tying for 20th in the nation.
Philoxy led the Minutewomen with 187 assists, averaging 5.7 per game. Her assist total tied her for ninth in the NCAA and first in the A-10 Conference.
Along with Breen, Philoxy and Taylor, Massachusetts returns seven more players from the 2021-22 A-10 Championship team with senior Angelique Ngalakulondi, juniors Ber'Nyah Mayo and Makennah White, and sophomores Alexzeya Brooks, Aisha Dabo, Natousha Harden and Stefanie Kulesza. UMass added four newcomers to its roster with junior transfer Piath Gabriel, sophomore transfers Laila Fair and Kristin Williams and freshman Lilly Ferguson.
The Minutewomen open the 2022-23 season on Sunday, October 30, at 2 p.m., with an exhibition against Assumption, before hosting Central Connecticut State on Monday, November 7, in the regular season opener at 5 p.m.
In addition, the league announced the A-10 Preseason Awards, placing graduate student Sam Breen and senior Sydney Taylor on the All-Conference First Team, while graduate student Destiney Philoxy landed on the All-Conference Second Team and the All-Defensive Team. Breen received A-10 Player of the Year honors last year. She also collected the A-10 Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, All-Conference First Team and All-Academic Team accolades. Taylor and Philoxy both garnered A-10 All-Conference Second Team awards, as Breen and Taylor were placed on the conference's All-Championship Team last season.
Breen finished the year with 571 points (17.3 per game) and 332 rebounds (10.1 per game) to lead the team. She tallied 17 double-doubles on the season, tying for 18th in the nation and becoming the only A-10 player last year to record 10-plus double-doubles.
Taylor totaled 526 points (15.9 per game) and recorded 83 made three-point field goals, averaging 2.5 per game. She completed the season second in the league with her three-pointers made, while tying for 20th in the nation.
Philoxy led the Minutewomen with 187 assists, averaging 5.7 per game. Her assist total tied her for ninth in the NCAA and first in the A-10 Conference.
Along with Breen, Philoxy and Taylor, Massachusetts returns seven more players from the 2021-22 A-10 Championship team with senior Angelique Ngalakulondi, juniors Ber'Nyah Mayo and Makennah White, and sophomores Alexzeya Brooks, Aisha Dabo, Natousha Harden and Stefanie Kulesza. UMass added four newcomers to its roster with junior transfer Piath Gabriel, sophomore transfers Laila Fair and Kristin Williams and freshman Lilly Ferguson.
The Minutewomen open the 2022-23 season on Sunday, October 30, at 2 p.m., with an exhibition against Assumption, before hosting Central Connecticut State on Monday, November 7, in the regular season opener at 5 p.m.
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