DALLAS, Texas – FIU head coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley was honored as the Conference USA Coach of the Year and sophomore Mya Kone was named the Sixth Player of the Year to highlight a total of seven different Panthers who earned CUSA Women's Basketball honors, which were announced by league officials on Monday.
Other honorees for the Panthers included Tanajah Hayes, who earned a place on the All-Defense Team as well as being selected as Second-Team All-Conference choice. Kaliah Henderson joins her as a Second-Team All-Conference selection, while forwards Courtney Prenger, Ajae Yoakum and Maria Torres take home All-Conference Honorable Mention honors.
Head coach Jesyka-Burks Wiley earns her second CUSA Coach of the Year award. The fourth-year coach led FIU from eighth in CUSA in the 2022-2023 season, to third this season with the Panthers' first 20-win campaign since the 2011-2012 season. FIU ranked seventh in the CUSA Preseason Poll, achieving the Panthers' most wins in conference play since joining CUSA in the 2013-2014 season, and the most conference wins an FIU team has had since the 2012-2013 season. Coach Burks-Wiley led FIU to its highest seed since joining CUSA, as well as creating a dynamic offense that ranked second in CUSA with 69.4 points per game. Burks-Wiley won CUSA Coach of the Year once before, after her first season with FIU in the 2020-2021 season, revitalizing a program that went 11-47 in the two years before she was hired as FIU's head coach.
Mya Kone, a sophomore transfer in her first year with the Panthers, emerged as FIU's leading scorer and rebounder. The guard put up a team-high 11.3 points per game, putting up two career-highs, first with 22 points against Bryant, and then bested that performance with 28 points in FIU's first conference game of the season against Jacksonville State. Standing at 6'2, Kone was the Panthers' most prolific rebounder, leading the team with 7.9 rebounds per game, placing her at sixth in the conference. Kone grabbed a career high 18 rebounds in the Panthers' win over Louisiana Tech at home, and had a team-high eight double-doubles on the season. This is Kone's first time winning both Sixth Player of the Year, and her first time with First-Team All-Conference honors.
Junior Tanajah Hayes was the Panthers' primary ball-handler throughout the season. Averaging a career high 10.8 points per game, the guard was second on the Panthers in scoring on the season. Hayes really picked up her play, particularly her scoring prowess, in conference play, scoring 13.1 points per game in conference play coming in at eighth in CUSA. The North Carolina native scored a season-high 24 points in the Panthers' win at Sam Houston, and put up double-digit point performances in 10 of the Panthers' 16 conference games. A prolific playmaker, Hayes led FIU in assists per game with 3.8, coming in at fourth in the conference. The guard is a prominent defensive presence, leading CUSA in steals per game with 2.2. Hayes recently nestled herself into the top-10 in FIU's career steals per game list, ending the 2023-2024 regular season with 189 career steals, good for ninth all-time in FIU history. A preseason all-conference nominee, this is Hayes's first time being awarded Second-Team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team.
Graduate student Kaliah Henderson has been awarded Second-Team All-Conference after a season where the guard was fourth on FIU with 9.3 points per game, and third with 4.6 rebounds per game. Henderson put up a season high 26-points against Middle Tennessee, following that up with a 23-point performance in FIU's win at Western Kentucky. Henderson was a force on defense as well, placing second on FIU with 1.5 steals per game which is tied for ninth in CUSA. The Tampa, Florida native had six games this season with three-plus steals, including three games where she had five. Chosen to the Preseason-All Conference team, this is Henderson's second time winning Second-Team All-Conference honors.
A trio of forwards in Courtney Prenger, Ajae Yoakum and Maria Torres left their marks on CUSA, all of which being awarded All-Conference Honorable Mention. Graduate student Prenger in her first year with FIU had the most starts on the team with 29 out of 30 games played. The Ohio native averaged 8.9 points per game, and was second on the team in field-goal percentage with a 47.5% mark. This is Prenger's first time winning All-CUSA honors.
Senior Ajae Yoakum was a standout for the Panthers, averaging a career-high 10.4 rebounds per game in 19 games played. Yoakum led the team in field-goal percentage, with 52.6% of her shot attempts ending in a score. She put up a career high 30 points in the Panthers' win over Alabama A&M, and produced eight games where she scored in double-digits. The forward was also second on the team in rebounding with 5.6 rebounds per game, ending the season with three double-doubles. This is Yoakum's first time receiving All-CUSA honors.
Senior Maria Torres was a mainstay in FIU's starting lineup, starting in all 24 of her games played. The forward from Spain put up 6.4 points per game, including a career-high 16 points in the Panthers' win at New Mexico State. A force on the defensive end, Torres was second on FIU, averaging 0.9 blocks per game which is good for ninth in CUSA. This is Torres's first time being acknowledged with All-CUSA honors.
FULL CUSA POSTSEASON AWARDS
Player of the Year
Savannah Wheeler, MTSU
Defensive Player of the Year
Anastasiia Boldyreva, MTSU
Freshman of the Year
Asia Boone, Liberty
Sixth Player of the Year
Mya Kone, FIU
Newcomer of the Year
Jane Asinde, UTEP
Coach of the Year
Jesyka Burks-Wiley, FIU
All-Conference USA First Team
Mya Kone, FIU
Emma Hess, Liberty
Bella Smuda, Liberty
Anna Larr Roberson, LA Tech
Anastasiia Boldyreva, MTSU
Savannah Wheeler, MTSU
Molly Kaiser, NM State
Jane Asinde, UTEP
All-Conference USA Second Team
Tanajah Hayes, FIU
Kaliah Henderson, FIU
Asia Boone, Liberty
Jalynn Gregory, MTSU
Ta'Mia Scott, MTSU
Courtney Whitson, MTSU
Erin Wilson, UTEP
Alexis Mead, WKU
All-Defensive Team
Tanajah Hayes, FIU
Bella Smuda, Liberty
Anastasiia Boldyreva, MTSU
Jane Asinde, UTEP
Alexis Mead, WKU
All-Freshman Team
Elisabeth Aegisdottir, Liberty
Asia Boone, Liberty
Paris Guillory, LA Tech
Jianna Morris, LA Tech
Aaliyah Stanton, UTEP
Honorable Mention All-Conference
Courtney Prenger, FIU
Maria Torres, FIU
Ajae Yoakum, FIU
Jordan Hodges, Liberty
Salma Bates, LA Tech
Ene Adams, NM State
Jaila Harding, NM State
Kaylee Jefferson, Sam Houston
Raanee Smith, Sam Houston
UP NEXT
The three-seeded Panthers will take on New Mexico State in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Basketball Championships at the Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama.
Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. ET start to be broadcasted on ESPN+.
TICKETS
For more information on FIU tickets to FIU basketball home games, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit HERE.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@fiuwbb), Twitter (@FIUWBB), and Facebook (@FIUWBasketball) for all the latest Women's Basketball news. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUAthletics on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.