NATCHITOCHES—A pair of first year players and a veteran helped Northwestern State reach its first winning regular season in nearly a decade and] earned them spots on the All-Southland Conference teams.

Leading scorer Mya Blake was named to the first team as well as the SLC Newcomer of the Year and Vernell Atamah earned SLC Freshman of the Year honors, while graduate student Jasmin Dixon earned a spot on the SLC All-Defensive Team.

Blake is the fourth Demons player to be named newcomer of the year and just the second in the last 30 years, joining Candice Parramore, who won it in 2022.

She is also the first women's player to be selected to the first team all-conference since Parramore did so in 2023.

The senior from Stockton, California, led the league in overall points per game (17.8) and in league game (19.5), the latter of which is nearly three points higher than the second place Nora Francois of New Orleans.

She poured in at least 30 points in a game four times this season, including[ scoring a career-high 37 at Stephen F. Austin. She is the only player to score 30 in a game in the Southland this season.

Twice Blake won the conference player of the week award.

She finished the season with 18 consecutive games in double figures.

Blake finished in the top 15 in the conference in points, rebounds, assists and steals, including first in points and third in assists.

In her last six games, she been the master of the steal, recording 19 steals in those six games, including six against Stephen F. Austin and five against Houston Christian.

She is just the third player to reach 500 points in a season in the last 25 years and the first since Beatrice Attura in 2016-17.

Atamah, the native of Mesquite, Texas, has made a major impact as a true freshman. Her 405 points and 200 rebounds puts her in rare air, as she is fifth all-time in school history among freshmen in scoring and ranking in the top five in both categories, one of only two Demons who can say that (Joskeen Garner).

She is the first Northwestern State player to be named conference freshman of the year since Janelle Perez in 2013.

The freshman is in the top six in both points and rebounds, averaging 14.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest. Her six double-doubles are in the top 10 among freshmen in the NCAA.

An impressive showing against New Orleans with 29 points and 11 rebounds helped earn her the SLC Player of the Week award.

After scoring in single digits her first three games, she posted 15 consecutive games in double figures, the most since Attura scored at least 10 points in 19 straight games in 2016-17, prior to Blake scoring in double figures in 18 straight to close the regular season.

Being a part of a strong defense earned Dixon some much-deserved recognition, being part of the SLC All-Defensive Team.

Dixon, a graduate student from Spring, Texas, is tied for the lead in the Southland with 44 blocks and her 1.5 blocks per game also leads the league. She has swatted 146 shots in her Demons career, which is fifth in school history.

The 3.8 blocks per game is top 100 nationally and her 44 blocks are tied for 71^st in the country.

She is the leader of one of the top defenses in the SLC, allowing just 58.8 points per game during league play, which is third in the conference. The Demons also led the league in field goal percentage defense, allowing teams to shoot just 35.6 percent from the field.

For the season, Northwestern State allowed just 36 percent from the floor, which ranks 20^th nationally.

Dixon has recorded 14 games with multiple blocks, including four with at least three.

Arguably her best contest came in the non-conference game against Central Arkansas, posting career highs in blocks (6) and rebounds (16).

Regular season champion Southeastern Louisiana took home the player of the year (Alexius Horne), coach of the year (Ayla Guzzardo) and defensive player of the year (Jalencia Pierre).

The Northwestern State trio heads back onto the court Monday when the No. 5 Demons begin the SLC Tournament against No. 8 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, starting at 11 a.m.
 
2024-25 Southland Women's Basketball Superlative Awards
Player of the Year - Alexius Horne, Southeastern
Coach of the Year - Ayla Guzzardo, Southeastern
Defensive Player of the Year - Jalencia Pierre, Southeastern
Newcomer of the Year - Mya Blake, Northwestern State
Freshman of the Year – Vernell Atamah, Northwestern State
 
2024-25 Southland Women's Basketball All-Conference Teams
First Team
Akasha Davis, Lamar
Sabria Dean, Lamar
Alexius Horne, SLU
Mya Blake, Northwestern State
Faith Blackstone, SFA
 
Second Team
Nora Francois, New Orleans
Jalencia Pierre, Southeastern
Ashlyn Traylor-Walker, SFA
Kade Hackerott, UTRGV
Charlotte O'Keefe, UTRGV
 
2024-25 Southland Women's Basketball All-Defensive Team
Jasmin Dixon, Northwestern State*
Jalencia Pierra, Southeastern
Trinity Moore, SFA*
Paige Allen, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Charlotte O'Keefe, UTRGV
Dorian Norris, UIW
*tied for final spot