University of Massachusets Athletics
Photo by: Chris Tucci - UMass Athletics
Breen Earns Back-To-Back A-10 Player of the Year Award To Highlight Postseason Honors
February 28, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Breen, Mayo and Taylor collect All-Conference honors, while Taylor adds All-Academic accolades and Philoxy grabs All-Defensive honor
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Graduate student Sam Breen was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year to headline a total of six postseason awards for the University of Massachusetts women's basketball team, the league announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Breen garners the accolade for the second consecutive season, becoming the first Minutewomen to not only win the award, but achieve the honor in back-to-back seasons. She is also the first A-10 player to collect the award in two consecutive seasons, since Jackie Kemph (Saint Louis), who won Co-Player of the Year in 2015-16 and Player of the Year in 2016-17, and is the last solo winner of the accolade since back-to-back champion, Amber Harris (Xavier) won it in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
In addition, Breen was also tabbed to the league's All-Conference First Team for the third straight year and third time in her career. Sydney Taylor joined Breen on the All-conference First Team, picking up the honor for the first time in her collegiate career, while Ber'Nyah Mayo garnered her first career A-10 postseason accolade, landing on the All-Conference Second Team. Destiney Philoxy earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive season. Philoxy is only the third Minutewomen to garner the All-Defensive Team award, joining Jennifer Butler (2001-02; 2002-03) and Brooke Campbell (2004-05), while becoming the second Minutewomen, along with Butler to be named to the team in back-to-back years.
A three-time A-10 Player of the Week, Breen started every regular season game going on to rank as the third-leading scorer in the conference (17.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (10.0 rpg). She leads the league in double-doubles with 16, being one of five A-10 players to have 10-plus performances this season. Breen is currently tied for 12th in the nation in the category. The graduate student has also been named a 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Semifinalist, and became the program's all-time career points leader, surpassing Sue Peters, who held the record for 43 years.
Taylor was selected as the A-10 Player of the Week once this season, as she averages 16.2 points per game to sit in seventh in the league and has a 5.1 average in rebounds. She ranks first in the conference in three-point field goals per game with 3.1, making 87 total on the year. The senior has reached double figures in 23 of the 29 regular season games, scoring 20-plus points in 10 contests, while recording one 30-point performance on the year.
Mayo averaged 12.7 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game, adding 4.0 assists per game and a team-leading 2.5 steals per game. Her swipes per game rank third in the conference, totaling 73 on the season, while sitting 23rd in the nation for her total steals.
Philoxy has averaged 5.1 assists per game this year to sit second in the A-10 and tie for 22nd across Division I with 149 total. The Queens, New York, native, contributes 10.6 points per game to go with a 4.0 rebounding average. The graduate student has had 17 double figure contests on the year and one contest with 10-plus assists. Philoxy became the all-time career assists leader and is the only Minutewomen with 600-plus assists.
Massachusetts is seeded No. 1 in the 2023 Atlantic 10 Championship. UMass received a double-bye to the Quarterfinals Round on Friday, March 3, and will meet the winner from the game four on Thursday, March 2. The contest on Friday will be aired on ESPN+ at the CHASE Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware, at 11 a.m.
2022-23 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Awards
Players of the Year: Sam Breen, Massachusetts
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Asiah Dingle, Fordham; Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis
Rookie of the Year: Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's
Most Improved Player: Mayé Touré, Rhode Island
Sixth Woman of the Year: Nya Robertson, George Washington
Coach of the Year: Tammi Reiss, Rhode Island
All-Conference First Team
Anna DeWolfe, Fordham
Asiah Dingle, Fordham
Sam Breen, Massachusetts
Sydney Taylor, Massachusetts
Mayé Touré, Rhode Island
Talya Brugler, Saint Joseph's
All-Conference Second Team
Ella Sutphin, Davidson
Megan McConnell, Duquesne
Ber'Nyah Mayo, Massachusetts
Addie Budnik, Richmond
Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis
Kyla McMakin, Saint Louis
All-Conference Third Team
Kayal Spruill, La Salle
Madison Hattix-Covington, Rhode Island
Maggie Doogan, Richmond
Mackenzie Smith, Saint Joseph's
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's
Sarah Te-Biasu, VCU
All-Defensive Team
Asiah Dingle, Fordham
Mayowa Taiwo, George Washington
Destiney Philoxy, Massachusetts
Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis
Julia Martinez, Saint Louis
All-Rookie Team
Nalani Kaysia, George Mason
Nya Robertson, George Washington
Mia Jacobs, La Salle
Maggie Doogan, Richmond
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's
All-Academic Team
Megan McConnell, Duquesne
Kaitlyn Downey, Fordham
Mia Lakstigala, George Washington
Sitori Tanin, Loyola Chicago
Sydney Taylor, Massachusetts
Addie Budnik, Richmond
Breen garners the accolade for the second consecutive season, becoming the first Minutewomen to not only win the award, but achieve the honor in back-to-back seasons. She is also the first A-10 player to collect the award in two consecutive seasons, since Jackie Kemph (Saint Louis), who won Co-Player of the Year in 2015-16 and Player of the Year in 2016-17, and is the last solo winner of the accolade since back-to-back champion, Amber Harris (Xavier) won it in 2009-10 and 2010-11.
In addition, Breen was also tabbed to the league's All-Conference First Team for the third straight year and third time in her career. Sydney Taylor joined Breen on the All-conference First Team, picking up the honor for the first time in her collegiate career, while Ber'Nyah Mayo garnered her first career A-10 postseason accolade, landing on the All-Conference Second Team. Destiney Philoxy earned a spot on the All-Defensive Team for the second consecutive season. Philoxy is only the third Minutewomen to garner the All-Defensive Team award, joining Jennifer Butler (2001-02; 2002-03) and Brooke Campbell (2004-05), while becoming the second Minutewomen, along with Butler to be named to the team in back-to-back years.
A three-time A-10 Player of the Week, Breen started every regular season game going on to rank as the third-leading scorer in the conference (17.9 ppg) and first in rebounding (10.0 rpg). She leads the league in double-doubles with 16, being one of five A-10 players to have 10-plus performances this season. Breen is currently tied for 12th in the nation in the category. The graduate student has also been named a 2022 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Semifinalist, and became the program's all-time career points leader, surpassing Sue Peters, who held the record for 43 years.
Taylor was selected as the A-10 Player of the Week once this season, as she averages 16.2 points per game to sit in seventh in the league and has a 5.1 average in rebounds. She ranks first in the conference in three-point field goals per game with 3.1, making 87 total on the year. The senior has reached double figures in 23 of the 29 regular season games, scoring 20-plus points in 10 contests, while recording one 30-point performance on the year.
Mayo averaged 12.7 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game, adding 4.0 assists per game and a team-leading 2.5 steals per game. Her swipes per game rank third in the conference, totaling 73 on the season, while sitting 23rd in the nation for her total steals.
Philoxy has averaged 5.1 assists per game this year to sit second in the A-10 and tie for 22nd across Division I with 149 total. The Queens, New York, native, contributes 10.6 points per game to go with a 4.0 rebounding average. The graduate student has had 17 double figure contests on the year and one contest with 10-plus assists. Philoxy became the all-time career assists leader and is the only Minutewomen with 600-plus assists.
Massachusetts is seeded No. 1 in the 2023 Atlantic 10 Championship. UMass received a double-bye to the Quarterfinals Round on Friday, March 3, and will meet the winner from the game four on Thursday, March 2. The contest on Friday will be aired on ESPN+ at the CHASE Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Delaware, at 11 a.m.
2022-23 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Awards
Players of the Year: Sam Breen, Massachusetts
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Asiah Dingle, Fordham; Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis
Rookie of the Year: Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's
Most Improved Player: Mayé Touré, Rhode Island
Sixth Woman of the Year: Nya Robertson, George Washington
Coach of the Year: Tammi Reiss, Rhode Island
All-Conference First Team
Anna DeWolfe, Fordham
Asiah Dingle, Fordham
Sam Breen, Massachusetts
Sydney Taylor, Massachusetts
Mayé Touré, Rhode Island
Talya Brugler, Saint Joseph's
All-Conference Second Team
Ella Sutphin, Davidson
Megan McConnell, Duquesne
Ber'Nyah Mayo, Massachusetts
Addie Budnik, Richmond
Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis
Kyla McMakin, Saint Louis
All-Conference Third Team
Kayal Spruill, La Salle
Madison Hattix-Covington, Rhode Island
Maggie Doogan, Richmond
Mackenzie Smith, Saint Joseph's
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's
Sarah Te-Biasu, VCU
All-Defensive Team
Asiah Dingle, Fordham
Mayowa Taiwo, George Washington
Destiney Philoxy, Massachusetts
Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis
Julia Martinez, Saint Louis
All-Rookie Team
Nalani Kaysia, George Mason
Nya Robertson, George Washington
Mia Jacobs, La Salle
Maggie Doogan, Richmond
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's
All-Academic Team
Megan McConnell, Duquesne
Kaitlyn Downey, Fordham
Mia Lakstigala, George Washington
Sitori Tanin, Loyola Chicago
Sydney Taylor, Massachusetts
Addie Budnik, Richmond
Players Mentioned
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