Six Lady Raiders represented on C-USA Postseason Teams

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee had a Conference USA-best six players represented on all-conference postseason teams, as announced by the league office Monday.

Kseniya Malashka was named C-USA Sixth Player of the Year in her first season as a Lady Raider. Malashka, Dor Saar and Courtney Whitson were voted to the All C-USA second team. Middle Tennessee is the only team to have three players represented on the all-conference first and second teams.

Defensive stalwart Alexis Whittington earned a spot on the five-person Conference USA All-Defensive team. Anastasiia Boldyreva and Jalynn Gregory were each named to the five-person Conference USA All-Freshman team.

"I'm proud of each of these young ladies," Middle Tennessee Head Coach Rick Insell said. "We had a productive regular season and each of those players had an impact in our success. They deserve the recognition for what they did for our basketball team throughout the regular season. Now, we need to turn our attention to the (Conference USA Championship) this week."

Malashka joins Gabby Lyon (2016-17) as the only Lady Raiders to be named Conference USA Sixth Player of the Year. The junior forward is Middle Tennessee's second-leading scorer, averaging 12.5 points and five rebounds per game, providing a spark off the bench. Middle Tennessee's top reserve, Malashka has been Middle Tennessee's first substitute in 14 games. She is a two-time Conference USA Player of the Week recipient.

Whitson is having a banner season and has substantially increased her production in every statistical category during her junior campaign. Whitson leads the Lady Raiders in scoring (12.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg). She leads the nation in minutes per game (38.4). Whitson is also among C-USA leaders for rebounding (fifth, 7.7), 3-point field goals made (fourth, 2.1), defensive rebounds (sixth, 5.1) and offensive rebounds (9^th, 2.6). Whitson has scored in every game, including 19 in double figures, and she has pulled seven-plus rebounds in 21 games.

Saar has been instrumental as one of the top newcomers in Conference USA. The graduate senior point guard averages 11.5 points per game, and she leads the Lady Raiders in assists with 3.4. Saar is first in C-USA for 3-point field goals per game (2.5), 3-point field goals made (65), fifth for assist-turnover ratio (1.5) and third for minutes played (35.0). She is also top 50 nationally for 3-pointer per game. She has posted 16 games with double figures scoring and has connected for three-plus 3-pointers in 15 games, including a season-high six at Troy.

Whittington has earned a reputation as Middle Tennessee's lock-down defender and her defensive prowess earned a spot on the All-Defensive team. Whittington is among conference leaders in steals and is also among national leaders in that category. Whittington was tasked with guarding the opposition's leading scorer on a nightly basis. She turned in remarkable results generally holding the league's top players well below their scoring average. Whittington's play helps ignite a defensive team that is among the nation's best in 3-point field goal defense and scoring defense.

Boldyreva and Gregory had breakout rookie campaigns and successfully transitioned to Division I basketball as true freshmen. Boldyreva has started every game for the Lady Raiders, while Gregory has started 27 of the 28. She missed one game due to health and safety protocols. They were each named Conference USA Freshman of the Week twice.

Boldyreva has played her best basketball down the stretch. The 6-foot-6 center is averaging 12.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocked shots and shooting 51 percent (65-of-127) from the field over the last 13 games. She is third in C-USA for blocked shots with 1.7 per game. Her 47 blocked shots are 55^th most nationally and sixth on the Lady Raiders' single-season blocks list. Boldyreva is averaging 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds for the season.

Gregory has proven to be a long-range shooting specialist and has impacted the game with solid perimeter defense. The guard is fifth in C-USA for 3-point field goals per game with 2.1 per contest. Gregory has connected for 56 3-pointers and is averaging 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She is shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc with 56 total 3-pointers this season. Gregory has scored in 27 games, posting double figures in 11. She has multiple 3-pointers in 17 games, including five or more four times.

Conference USA postseason awards are voted on by the league's coaches, media, and sports information directors.

2021-22 C-USA Postseason Awards
Player of the Year
Octavia Jett-Wilson, Charlotte

Newcomer of the Year
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss

Sixth Player of the Year
Kseniya Malashka, Middle Tennessee

Defensive Player of the Year
KeKe McKinney, Charlotte

Freshman of the Year
Mya Meredith, WKU

Coach of the Year
Cara Consuegra, Charlotte

All-Conference First Team
Octavia Jett-Wilson, Charlotte
Meral Abdelgawad, WKU
Iggy Allen, ODU
Savannah Wheeler, Marshall
Keiunna Walker, LA Tech
Zakyia Weathersby, UAB
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss
Ajah Wayne, ODU

All-Conference Second Team
Courtney Whitson, Middle Tennessee
Kseniya Malashka, Middle Tennessee
Dor Saar, Middle Tennessee
Anna Larr Roberson, LA Tech
Quincy Noble, North Texas
Ashlee Austin, Rice
Mikayla Boykin, Charlotte
Katia Gallegos, UTEP

All-Defensive Team
Alexis Whittington, Middle Tennessee
KeKe McKinney, Charlotte
Zakyia Weathersby, UAB
Jadyn Pimental, UTSA
Meral Abdelgawad, WKU

All-Freshman Team
Anastasiia Boldyreva, Middle Tennessee
Jalynn Gregory, Middle Tennessee
Malia Fisher, Rice
Mya Meredith, WKU
Alex Mead, WKU

Honorable Mention All-Conference
Ariel Colon, FIU
Kyla Nelson, FIU
KeKe McKinney, Charlotte
Destiny Thurman, UTEP
Jada McMillian, Charlotte
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss
Destiny Jackson, Rice
Rita Pleskevich, Florida Atlantic
Madison Townley, North Texas
Malia Fisher, Rice

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Anastasiia Boldyreva

Jalynn Gregory

Kseniya Malashka

Dor Saar

Courtney Whitson

Alexis Whittington

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