MW Announces 2023-24 Preseason Women's Basketball All-Conference Team, Individual Awards

LAS VEGAS– The Mountain West announced its 2023-24 Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference team and preseason award winners Wednesday morning to kick off the joint MW-WCC media day held at Resorts World in Las Vegas.

As voted upon by the league’s 11 head coaches and select media members, the preseason team is made up of one graduate student, two seniors, and two juniors. Four of the eight preseason honorees earned All-Conference accolades at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Colorado State graduate student McKenna Hofschild was selected as the Mountain West Women’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, while teammate Jackie Carman was named the Preseason Newcomer of the Year. Rookies Trinity Zamora of San Diego State and Amarachi Kimpson of UNLV share Preseason Freshman of the Year honors.

A 2022-23 Nancy Lieberman Award Finalist and the reigning MW Player of the Year, Hofschild ranked 17th in NCAA Division I with 20.6 points per game and averaged 21.8 in conference play. The Ram also led the MW and ranked fifth in DI with 7.2 assists per game and was second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.42). Hofschild earned WBCA All-Region honors in 2022-23 as well as Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention.

Carman, a graduate transfer from Wofford, started all 32 games for the Terriers last season, ranking second on team and fifth in the Southern Conference in scoring (15.1 points per game). She shot 33.8 percent from 3-point range, leading her team in 3-pointers made (2.1 per game). She scored 1,306 points in her four-year Wofford career, also tallying 333 rebounds, 139 assists, and 100 steals. She helped the Terriers to their first-ever SoCon regular-season title in 2022-23.

Zamora, the rookie from Oakland, California, averaged 22 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and two blocks per game during her high school career, making the California all-state team three times. She was the WAC Co-Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior, made the All-Bay Area New Group Team 2022 and 2023.

Kimpson, the UNLV freshman guard from Little Elm Texas, was ranked among the Prospects Nation Elite 150 coming into her debut college season. Also ranked No. 18 in Texas’ Premier Basketball Report’s Class of 2023 Rankings, she averaged 22.2 points per game and was her squad’s leading scorer for three straight seasons.

In addition to Hofschild on the All-MW team are Boise State’s Abby Muse, UNLV’s Desi-Rae Young and Kiara Jackson, and Wyoming’s Allyson Fertig.

Muse, the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year, averaged 9.1 points and 8.7 rebounds during her junior season at Boise State. She also accumulated 93 blocks, 52 assists, and 23 steals and ranked among the top 10 in the country for blocks per game (2.82).

Young, the 2022-23 Preseason Player of the Year and 2023 MW Championship Tournament MVP, enters her fourth year as a Lady Rebel. Last season, she averaged a double-double with 15.5 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. She contributed 70 assists, 52 steals, and 17 blocks to UNLV’s 31-3 season.

The Mountain West 2022-223 Sixth Person of the Year, Jackson enters her third season with the Lady Rebels after averaging 24.6 minutes, 7.8 points per game and 2.1 rebounds in 2022-23.

Fertig, the 2021-22 MW Freshman of the Year, leads the Cowgirls in her third season after averaging 13.3 points and 8.7 rebounds as well as blocking 69 shots, dishing 27 assists, and securing 23 steals. The junior ended the 2022-23 season amongst the top 25 in the country for blocks (2.03).

2023-24 PRESEASON ALL-MOUNTAIN WEST TEAM

Preseason Player of the Year

McKenna Hofschild, Gr., G, Colorado State

Preseason Newcomer of the Year

Jackie Carman, Gr., G, Colorado State

Preseason Co-Freshman of the Year

Trinity Zamora, G, San Diego State

Amarachi Kimpson, G, UNLV