The Parker sisters are All-MAAC once again.
Aaliyah and Angel Parker were both named second-team All-MAAC after guiding Niagara to the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament for the second consecutive season. They were the lone Purple Eagles to be honored Monday.
Aaliyah Parker was the MAAC preseason player of the year after being selected to the first-team last season and was the unanimous rookie of the year in 2022. An illness cost Parker five games this season, and along with improved team depth, her statistics took a hit after leading the conference in scoring and steals last season.
The junior averaged 12 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 steals in 22.8 minutes per game. Parker ranked second in steals (82) and steals per game and still ranked 10th in scoring. She also ranks seventh in Division I in steals after being second last season.
In her final season, Angel Parker was named All-MAAC for the fourth consecutive season, earning first-team honors the previous two seasons and was a second-team selection in 2021. She missed the first nine games with a knee injury, and like her sister, saw her statistics take a tumble.
Parker averaged 10.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals in 24.5 minutes per game this season. She is Niagara’s all-time leader in steals with 331.
Conference champion Fairfield loaded up on individual awards, with Janelle Brown earning player of the year after averaging 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game. Teammate Meghan Andersen was the rookie of the year, while Carly Thibault-DuDonis was named coach of the year as the 25th-ranked Stags went 20-0 in the MAAC.
Siena’s Elisa Mevius was the defensive player of the year and Canisius’ Athina Lexa was the sixth player of the year.
The MAAC women’s first-team included Sisi Eleko (Canisius), Andersen, Brown, Mevius and Teresa Seppala (Siena). The second-team featured the Parkers, Petra Juric (Manhattan), Jessica Tomasetti (Mount St. Mary’s), Anna Foley (Quinnipiac) and Taylor Langan (Rider). The third-team was Emina Selimovic (Fairfiel), Sierra DeAngelo (Iona), Zaria Shazer (Marist), Jo Raflo (Mount St. Mary’s), Anajah Brown (Siena) and Ahniysha Jackson (Siena).
Niagara faces the winner of Quinnipiac and Saint Peter’s at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
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Niagara did not have anyone named to the All-MAAC teams, but Ahmad Henderson II was named to the conference’s all-rookie team.
Henderson averaged a team-high 11.9 points per game on 37.4% shooting in 27 minutes for the Purple Eagles. He had five 20-point games and was edged out by Mount St. Mary’s freshman De’Shayne Montgomery as the rookie of the year.
Quinnipiac’s Matt Balanc was the player of the year, while Tom Pecora was coach of the year after leading the Bobcats to the conference title. Saint Peter’s guard Latrell Reid was the defensive player of the year and Fairfield’s Brycen Goodine was the sixth player of the year.
The MAAC first-team included Balanc, Jalen Leach (Fairfield), Dakota Leffew (Mount St. Mary’s), Mervin James (Rider) and Corey Washington (Saint Peter’s). The second-team included Frank Mitchell (Canisius), Caleb Fields (Fairfield), Max Allen II (Marist), Savion Lewis (Quinnipiac) and Amarri Tice (Quinnipiac). Third third-team consisted of Tre Dinkins (Canisius), Goodine, Idan Tretout (Iona), Allen Powell (Rider) and Reid.
Niagara faces Siena in the first round of the MAAC tournament at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday.