COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Texas A&M was predicted to win the 2020 SEC women’s basketball championship in a vote of the league’s head coaches released Tuesday. A&M’s Chennedy Carter was selected as the SEC Preseason Player of the Year, plus Ciera Johnson and Kayla Wells earned Preseason All-SEC honors.
Texas A&M earned the top spot in the preseason poll for the first time since joining the league in 2012-13. The only previous time Texas A&M has been selected as their league’s preseason champion was in 2007-08 while in the Big 12. Coming off back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, the Aggies return six starters and 94-percent of the team’s scoring from a team that went 12-4 in SEC play and 26-8 overall a year ago.
Carter, the first Aggie to earn preseason conference player of the year, was tabbed as the league’s best player by both the coaches’ and the media. The junior from Mansfield, Texas earned Preseason All-SEC First Team for the second consecutive year and was joined on the first team by Chelsea Dungee (Arkansas), Rhyne Howard (Kentucky), Ayana Mitchell (LSU), Jordan Danberry (Mississippi State), Amber Smith (Missouri) and Rennia Davis (Tennessee).
Last season, Carter led the SEC with 23.3 points per game, and stepped up her averaged to 30.7 points in the NCAA Tournament. Following the successful season, she was named First Team All-SEC and an AP All-American for the second consecutive year.
A&M’s Ciera Johnson and Kayla Wells received Preseason Second Team All-SEC honors, marking the first preseason all-conference honor for both student-athletes.
Johnson averaged 12.0 points and 8.4 rebounds in 2018-19, in her first season at Texas A&M. She ranked among the league’s leaders in points (27th), rebounds (sixth) and blocks (12th) during her sophomore season. Johnson was previously selected Preseason Second Team All-SEC by the league’s coaches on October 15.
Wells averaged 15.1 points, which ranked 10th in the conference, and 3.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 48% from the field in 2018-19. She was the most-improved scorer in the Southeastern Conference, raising her average from 2.8 a season prior. In the SEC Tournament, she hit the game-winning shot with 5.3 seconds left against Auburn, sending A&M to the semifinals.
Coming off of back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, Texas A&M enters the year with early preseason rankings as high as No. 4 nationally. The Aggies are the only 2019 Sweet 16 participant to return every starter and four double-figure scorers coming back to Aggieland.
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2019-20 SEC Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll
Order of Finish
1. Texas A&M
2. South Carolina
3. Mississippi State
4. Kentucky
5. Arkansas
6. LSU
7. Tennessee
8. Auburn
9. Missouri
10. Georgia
11. Alabama
12. Vanderbilt
13. Ole Miss
14. Florida
Player of the Year
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
First-Team All-SEC
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Ayana Mitchell, LSU
Jordan Danberry, Mississippi State
Amber Smith, Missouri
Tyasha Harris, South Carolina
Rennia Davis, Tennessee
Chennedy Carter, Texas A&M
Second-Team All-SEC
Cierra Johnson, Alabama
Daisa Alexander, Auburn
Unique Thompson, Auburn
Gabby Connally, Georgia
Chloe Bibby, Mississippi State
Mikaiah Herbert Harrigan, South Carolina
Ciera Johnson, Texas A&M
Kayla Wells, Texas A&M
Mariella Fasoula, Vanderbilt