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University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass' McKayle, Olbrys And Palmieri Earn All-Conference Nods, Franks Named To All-MAC Defensive Team
March 10, 2026 | Women's Basketball
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The trio of Yahmani McKayle, Megan Olbrys and Allie Palmieri each picked up All-Conference nominations while Ayanna Franks was named to the All-MAC Defensive Team, the Mid-American Conference announced Tuesday. McKayle earned a First Team nod; Olbrys was named to the Second Team, and Palmieri was selected as an Honorable Mention.
McKayle had an impressive first season in the MAC, averaging 16.2 points, 5.0 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, ranking third in the conference in both points and assists. The sophomore standout elevated her play in conference action with averages of 16.4 points and 5.2 assists. The Queens, N.Y. native, scored double figures in 28 contests across the 29-game schedule, including seven 20-point games. McKayle set career highs in points, with 28 against Kent State in a game where she scored 14 in the fourth quarter alone, and assists, with 11 against Akron. For her play, McKayle becomes the first All-MAC First Team member in program history.
Olbrys was a mainstay for the Minutewomen, averaging 14.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game, ranking among the top-12 in the MAC in points (12th), rebounds (6th), blocks (9th) and steals (11th). Olbrys was a force on the interior, recording eight double-doubles, including a 19-point 16-rebound performance against Buffalo. Olbrys was named the inaugural MAC Player of the Week on February 24, after averaging 15.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.0 block a game after consecutive double-doubles. The senior forward set career-highs in steals, blocks, three-pointers made and surpassed the 500-career rebound mark.
Palmieri had a career year for UMass, averaging 13.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.89 three-pointers per game in her final season for the Minutewomen. The Trumbull, Conn. native ranked 16th in the conference in scoring and sixth in made threes. Palmieri scored in double figures in 18 of the final 19 games of the season, including two 20-point performances. The graduate guard hit at least one triple in 26 of the 28 games she appeared in, including a career-high five against Central Michigan.
In her inaugural season in the Maroon and White, Franks established herself as one of the premier premier defenders in the MAC. Franks swiped 2.6 steals per game, good enough for third in the conference, and helped lead the Minutewomen to the fourth-most team steals in the MAC. The Windsor, Conn. native's 75 steals on the season currently ranks fourth-most in single-season program history, and her nine-steal performance against Holy Cross tied the second-most in a single game in Minutewomen history.
