BATON ROUGE – After leading LSU to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game, Nikki Caldwell and LaSondra Barrett were recipients of the Louisiana Sports Writers highest honors as the Louisiana Coach of the Year and Player of the Year, respectively, it was announced on Saturday.
Caldwell guided the Lady Tigers to a 23-11 overall record in her first season. LSU boasted one of the nation’s elite defenses and recorded five regular season victories against ranked opponents, representing the most by the squad since 2008. Despite the loss of senior point guard Destini Hughes to injury, the Lady Tigers reeled off six consecutive victories and solidified itself as one of the nation’s top teams.
LSU posted a 10-6 record in SEC play and then reached the SEC Tournament championship game, which included knocking off top-seed Kentucky twice this season.
Barrett, a native of Jackson, Miss., becomes the first LSU player to take the state’s highest honor since Allison Hightower won it 2010. Barrett is also the first LSU player since Sylvia Fowles to be named Louisiana Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year during her career. Barrett was the recipient of the state’s top freshman award in 2009.
Barrett led the Lady Tigers in scoring (12.8 ppg), rebounding (7.1) and three-point shooting (24-of-62). She shattered the LSU career record for made free throws (497) and finished third in single-season annals with 177 makes. Barrett broke Fowles’ free throw mark while finishing 11th in LSU career scoring with 1,553 points.
Barrett was joined on the LSWA first team by McNeese State guard Caitlyn Baggett (14.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.2 apg), Tulane guard Olivia Grayson (14.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.5 apg), Loyola guard Keiva Council (22.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.5 apg) and Nicholls State guard Sumar Leslie (15.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.5 apg.).
LSU junior guard Adrienne Webb earned a spot on the LSWA second team after ranking second on the squad in scoring with 9.9 points per game. Webb was clutch in the SEC Tournament, draining a game-winning three that sent the Lady Tigers to the tournament semifinals. Webb will head into her senior season in sixth place in LSU career threes with 123.
The second team was also comprised of Louisiana Tech guard Jasmine Bendolph (10.5 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.6 rpg), McNeese State guard Ashlyn Baggett (15.7 ppg, 2.6 apg, 2.3 rpg), LSU-Shreveport forward Sharde Henry (14.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) and Tulane center Brett Benzio (9.5 ppg, 9.2 rpg).
Joining Caldwell and Barrett on the list of specialty awards were Louisiana Tech forward Whitney Frazier, who was named the state Freshman of the Year, and LSU-Shreveport forward Sharde Henry, who earned the Newcomer of the Year.
Both the state coach of the year and freshman of the year voting was decided by a single tally as Caldwell edged McNeese State coach Brooke Williams and Frazier edged Tulane freshman Danielle Blagg. Barrett claimed Player of the Year honors by four votes over Council.