NATCHITOCHES—Vernell Atamah has received a number of awards and earned well-deserved recognition this season. 

She can add another to her list, as she was voted First Team All-Louisiana by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. 

Atamah, a sophomore from Mesquite, Texas, is the first NSU women's basketball player to earn a spot on the All-Louisiana team since Candice Parramore in 2023. 

Atamah had one of the best seasons in program history, earning the program its first conference player of the year honor since 2003-04. 

She averaged 19.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game and was third on the team in steals (32) and second in blocks (14). 

Her points per game average were the best by a player for a season in the program since Beatrice Attura's 20.6 in 2016-17. 

Leading the team to an 18-14 record this past season, it was the first winning record by the Demons since 2015-16. Atamah buried 93 3-pointers, a school record for an individual, and helped break the school season record for made triples with 236. 

She was the fifth player in program history to score 600 pts in a season and first since Attura in 2016-17. Atamah was also the fourth player in program history to ever have 600 pts and 200 rebounds in the same season and the first since Pam Hudson in 1989-90. 

The sophomore also cracked 1,000 points in two seasons, the second youngest and fourth fastest player in program history to accomplish it. 

Atamah began the season on a high note with a 20-point performance against NCAA Tournament-bound Nebraska. She followed that up with a career-high seven 3-pointers in the road win over Wichita State. 

In the first three games against Nebraska, WSU and Kansas, she averages 21.3 points per game to earn the first of three Southland Conference Player of the Week awards. 

While she did damage against everybody she faced, she dominated Southeastern Louisiana and New Orleans more than the rest. Against SLU, she averaged 22.5 points and 16.5 rebounds per game and averaging 27.5 points and 10 rebounds against UNO. 
 

Here are the full teams: 

FIRST TEAM 

Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU) 

Vernell Atamah (Northwestern State) 

Mikayla Williams (LSU) 

Paris Bradley (Louisiana Tech) 

Alissa O'Dell (Loyola) 

SECOND TEAM 

Milasia Fulwiley (LSU) 

Dakota Howard (McNeese) 

Selma Markisic (LSUS) 

Deniya Thornton (Loyola) 

Jalencia Pierre (McNeese) 

PLAYER OF THE YEAR- Flau'Jae Johnson (LSU) 

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR- Milaysia Fulwiley (LSU) 

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR- Dakota Howard (McNeese) 

COACH OF THE YEAR- Ayla Guzzardo (McNeese)