SACRAMENTO — Sacramento State's Summah Hanson brought home the league's freshman of the year award while sophomore teammate Benthe Versteeg also picked up all-conference laurels as the Big Sky Conference announced its 2024 postseason honor roll on Thursday afternoon.
Hanson was named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year following a breakout campaign in her collegiate debut, becoming only the second Hornet woman to win the award. She joins Fantasia Hilliard as the only Sacramento State winners after Hilliard won the league's top freshman honor following the 2011-12 season.
One of the top point guards in the Big Sky in 2023-24, Versteeg earned her first career All-Big Sky honor after being named to the second team, while becoming one of six student-athletes named to the league's inaugural All-Defensive Team.
In her first season in the green and gold, Hanson established herself as one of the top young players in the Big Sky and in the history of the Sacramento State women's basketball program. Entering this weekend's conference tournament, Hanson is averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, shooting 43 percent from the field and 84 percent from the line while showcasing her range with 36 three-pointers.
Among the numerous records she has set in her rookie season, Hanson is the highest-scoring freshman in the program's Division I history with 405 points while also setting freshman records for minutes played (999:04), field goals made (150), field goal attempts (350), total rebounds (253), and defensive rebounds (184).
Her 13 double-doubles this season are the best in the Big Sky and among the best in the nation while her five 20-point games are among the top five in the league this year. She ranks second in the NCAA among qualifying freshmen in double-doubles, rebounding, and total rebounds, and is one of only five players in the Big Sky to rank among the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding.
Versteeg, who enters the weekend sharing the NCAA lead in minutes per game (38.35), is challenging one of the program's long-standing records, entering the tournament second on the team in scoring at 11.3 ppg while dishing out a league-best 6.52 assists per game. After setting a program Division I era single-game record with 14 assists against Weber State on Feb. 10 (and adding 13 more in the very next game at Northern Arizona on Feb. 15), Versteeg's 189 assists this year rank third on the program's single-season list, just eight shy of Hilliard's all-time record of 197 set in 2014-15.
The sophomore has 18 games with at least six assists in a game, including four point-assist double-doubles on the year, and has the opportunity to become the fifth Hornet to lead the Big Sky in assists along with Rexanne Rodriguez (5.65 apg) in 2000-01, Tika Koshiyama-Diaz (5.48 apg) in 2010-11, Hilliard in 2012-13 (5.9 apg), 2013-14 (6.5 apg), and 2014-15 (5.8 apg), and Lianna Tillman (6.50 apg) in 2021-22.
Defensively, Versteeg ranks third in the Big Sky in both steals (55) and steals per game (1.90), while leading or co-leading the team in that category 16 times. Her 55 steals are the most by a Hornet player since Hannah Friend led the team with 55 in 2018-19.
The No. 8 seed in this year's Big Sky Conference Tournament, the Hornets open the postseason against No. 7 Idaho State on Saturday (March 9) at 1:30 p.m. PT. The winner of that game meets second-seeded Northern Arizona in the second round on Sunday (March 10) at 1:30 p.m. PT.
All games leading up to the tournament championship game will be streamed live via the ESPN+ platform. Links to video and live stats will be posted on the women's basketball schedule page at HornetSports.com as soon as they become available.
2023-24 BIG SKY CONFERENCE POSTSEASON HONOR ROLL
Most Valuable Player – Jamie Loera, Eastern Washington*
Newcomer of the Year – Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw, Montana
Defensive Player of the Year – Jamie Loera, Eastern Washington
Top Reserve – Gina Marxen, Montana
Freshman of the Year – Summah Hanson, Sacramento State
Coach of the Year – Joddie Gleason, Eastern Washington
* Unanimous Selections
First Team All-Conference
Jamie Loera, Eastern Washington*
Sophie Glancey, Northern Arizona*
Aaliyah Alexander, Eastern Washington
Kennedy Johnson, Idaho
Carmen Gfeller, Montana
Esmeralda Morales, Portland State
Delaynie Byrne, Northern Colorado
* Unanimous Members of the All-Big Sky First Team
Second Team All-Conference
Leia Beattie, Northern Arizona
Dani Bartsch, Montana
Benthe Versteeg, Sacramento State
Marah Dykstra, Montana State
Jaleesa Lawrence, Eastern Washington
Maggie Espenmiller-McGraw, Montana
Hannah Simental, Northern Colorado
Note: Second Team features Seven Players due to tie for final spot
Honorable Mention All-Big Sky
Aniah Hall, Northern Colorado
Emily Rodabaugh, Northern Arizona
Daryn Hickok, Weber State
Jadyn Matthews, Weber State
Olivia Moran, Northern Arizona
All-Defensive Team
Amalie Langer, Idaho
Jamie Loera, Eastern Washington
Kacey Spink, Idaho State
Dani Bartsch, Montana
Benthe Versteeg, Sacramento State
Katelynn Limardo, Montana State
