Jenkins named Player of the Year, Aston Coach of the Year
Nina De Leon Negron collected Newcomer of the Year, while Idara Udo joined her as an all-conference selection
IRVING, Texas – The American Athletic Conference released its 2024-25 awards on Friday, with redshirt senior Jordyn Jenkins earning Player of the Year, while Karen Aston was chosen unanimously as Coach of the Year and graduate studentNina De Leon Negron picked up Newcomer of the Year honors. Additionally, sophomore Idara Udo was selected for the all-conference second team.
This marks the second occasion that Jenkins has earned a conference Player of the Year award after accomplishing the feat in 2022-23 when the Roadrunners were a member of Conference USA. This time around, she led the league, averaging 18.5 PPG at an impressive 46.2% clip, also collecting 6.8 RPG with 21 blocks and 19 steals across AAC action. The redshirt senior boasted five Player of the Week awards on the season and six total in The American, slotting her seventh on the league's all-time list despite playing less than two full seasons. Jenkins was also a unanimous first-team all-conference selection.
Aston led the Roadrunners to a remarkable 17-1 league campaign that represents the program's best ever. UTSA was crowned regular-season champions and received a No. 1 seed in the American Women's Basketball Championship, with the ‘Runners entering in the quarterfinals on Monday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The regular-season title was the first of Aston's illustrious career, which has also seen her named Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2017, and that same year, she was one of four Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year finalists. Earlier in the campaign, Aston was named WhoopDirt.comCoach of the Week after she earned the 50th win of her UTSA tenure, using wins over UAB and Tulsa to cement a record-breaking 12-2 start to the season. She is one of 13 eligible for the WHoopDirt.com Division I National Coach of the Year Award, as the 'Runners led the conference in several statistics, including scoring defense (56.3), field goal percentage defense (36.9), rebounding defense (33.4) and scoring margin (+9.33) under Aston's tutelage.
Meanwhile, De Leon Negron shined in her first season at UTSA and was also chosen for the all-newcomer team and second-team all-conference. After transferring from UIW for her final season, she posted the second-most assists in the league, averaging 5.06 per game. The San Juan, Puerto Rico native logged a 1.94 assists/turnover ratio that was third in The American, and she was top-20 in steals, minutes played, and rebounding. Across her collegiate career, De Leon Negron has also picked up the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year award in 2022-23 and has been selected to three all-conference squads.
Udo was the top offensive rebounder in the league with 67 across conference play, and she secured 7.56 RPG for the ninth-most in the AAC. She also maintained a 73.8% clip from the charity stripe, slotting her eighth on the league leader board. Udo also swatted 17 shots for the 14th-most across the league, all while anchoring its top defense.
The complete 2024-25 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball honors can be found below:
Player of the Year
Jordyn Jenkins, R-Sr., F, UTSA
Coach of the Year
Karen Aston, UTSA*
Defensive Player of the Year
Mama Dembele, Gr., G, South Florida
Freshman of the Year
Kendall Sneed, G, Tulane
Most Improved Player
L’or Mputu, Sr., F, South Florida
Sixth Player of the Year
Kaylah Turner, So., G, Temple
Newcomer of the Year
Nina De Leon Negron, Gr., G, UTSA
Ambassador Award
Malia Fisher, Sr., F, Rice
Delanie Crawford, Sr., G, Tulsa
First Team All-Conference
Amiya Joyner, Jr., F, East Carolina
Tommisha Lampkin, Sr., F, North Texas*
Tilly Boler, 5th, G, Memphis
Malia Fisher, Sr., F, Rice
Sammie Puisis, Gr., G, South Florida
Tiarra East, Sr., G, Temple
Tarriyonna Gary, 5th, G, Temple
Jordyn Jenkins, R-Sr., F, UTSA*
Sherese Pittman, Sr., F, Tulane
Delanie Crawford, Sr., G, Tulsa*
Second Team All-Conference
Jade Weathersby, So., F, UAB
Mya Perry, Jr., G, Florida Atlantic
Alasia Smith, 5th, F, Memphis
Desiree Wooten, So., G, North Texas
Dominique Ennis, Jr., G, Rice
Carla Brito, Jr., F, South Florida
Kyren Whittington, R-Sr., G, Tulane
Nina De Leon Negron, Gr., G, UTSA
Idara Udo, So., F, UTSA
Jayla Murray, R-Jr., F, Wichita State
All-Newcomer Team
Tilly Boler, 5th, G, Memphis
Victoria Flores, So., G, Rice
Sherese Pittman, Sr., F, Tulane
Kaylah Turner, So., G, Temple
Nina De Leon Negron, Gr., G, UTSA
All-Defensive Team
Alasia Smith, 5th, F, Memphis
Aniyah Johnson, Sr., F, North Texas
Desiree Wooten, So., G, North Texas
Malia Fisher, Sr., F, Rice
Mama Dembele, Gr., G, South Florida*
All-Freshman Team
Devin Hagemann, G, East Carolina*
Tamya Smith, F, Memphis
Aniah Alexis, G, Rice
Savannah Curry, G, Temple
Sadie Shores, G, Tulane
Kendall Sneed, G, Tulane*
Kennedi Alexander, G, Tulsa
*denotes unanimous selection
