INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – After posting a program-record 17-3 Horizon League regular season record to finish second in the #HLWBB standings, the Cleveland State women's basketball team was honored with multiple postseason accolades from the league Monday, with Destiny Leo, Deja Williams, Brittni Moore, Amele Ngwafang, and Jordana Reisma all earning postseason awards.
Leo was named the 2023 Horizon League Player of the Year and First Team honoree, Williams was named the 2023 Horizon League Sixth Player of the Year, Ngwafang was named to the All-League Third Team and All-Defensive Team, Moore was named to the All-League Second Team, and Reisma earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
COMPLETE HORIZON LEAGUE RELEASE
This marks just the third time in program history that a Viking has claimed Player of the Year honors (Audra Cook 1999-00, Kailey Klein 2008-09), while it's the second time over the last three seasons that Cleveland State has captured Sixth Player of the Year accolades (Destiny Leo 2021-22).
DESTINY LEO | JR | PLAYER OF THE YEAR & FIRST TEAM
Leo picks up Player of the Year honors after leading the league with 17.9 points per game this season, while notching a league-best .385 three-point field goal percentage and .919 clip from the free throw line. On the year, Leo has posted a league-high 12 20-point games, including four 30-point performances to pace all league players. In addition, Leo also ranks among the league's best players in assists (2.0 apg), steals (1.1) and blocked shots (0.4).
Nationally, Leo ranks second among Division I players with her .919 free throw percentage, while she ranks 11th with 147 free throws made, 20th with 79 three-pointers and 24th with 556 total points on the year.
Leo enters Horizon League Tournament play ranked 12th on the CSU Scoring List with 1,361 career points, while she currently sits at the top of the record book in career free throw percentage (.906) and career three-point percentage (.388).
Leo's Previous Horizon League Honors: Preseason Player of the Year (22-23), Sixth Player of the Year (20-21), First Team (21-22), All-Freshman Team (20-21)
DEJA WILLIAMS | SR | SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Williams was named the Sixth Player of the Year after averaging 6.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 22.3 minutes per game off the bench. Williams leads the Vikings with 65 total assists on the year, while she ranks 15th among league players in the category.
Coming off the bench in all but one contest during regular season play, Williams is also one of the best free throw shooters in the Horizon League, posting an .838 free throw percentage on the season.
Through 31 games this year, Williams has helped the Vikings to a league-best 75.2 points per game, while also helping the Vikings average 9.16 steals on the defensive end of the court to lead all league teams.
BRITTNI MOORE | SR | SECOND TEAM
Moore earned a spot on the All-League Second Team after averaging 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game through regular season play – ranking second on the team and top-15 among Horizon League players in both categories. Moore, who has appeared in the starting lineup during all 31 games so far this year, was named #HLWBB Player of the Week twice during the regular season.
On the year, Moore has tallied four double-doubles, including a stretch of three straight over the final weeks of regular season action. In addition to being one of the top scorers and rebounders in the Horizon League, Moore has also added 37 steals and 56 assists on the year.
AMELE NGWAFANG | SR | THIRD TEAM & ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Ngwafang was named to the All-League Third Team and All-Defensive Team after averaging 9.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game this season, leading the Vikings with 247 total boards and ranking third in scoring. Among league players, Ngwafang ranks fifth in rebounding and 23rd in scoring, while she is one of just four #HLWBB players to record seven or more double-doubles on the year.
Through 31 games played, Ngwafang has appeared in the starting lineup during every contest, and is one of Cleveland State's most efficient shooters with a .507 clip from the field on the year. In addition, Ngwafang has recorded 23 assists, 20 steals and 19 blocked shots.
On the defensive end, Ngwafang has helped Cleveland State hold opponents to a .353 field goal percentage and 57.4 points per game through the regular season, with both marks ranking second among league teams. Ngwafang's 153 defensive boards on the year ranks fifth among league players, while her 19 blocks is tied for 13th.
JORDANA REISMA | FR | ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Reisma earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team after averaging 6.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game during her rookie campaign. Appearing in all 31 games through the regular season, Reisma has been named the #HLWBB Freshman of the Week four times.
With 39 total blocks on the year, Reisma ranks second among league players in the category, and has tallied multiple blocked shots in 12 games so far this season.
As the most efficient shooter on the team with a .574 field goal percentage, Reisma has tallied double-digit points six times this year, including a season-high 14-point effort twice.
