Alabama State basketball player reacts to being named SWAC Woman of the Year

Ayana Emmanuel, the Alabama State women’s basketball player, has been voted SWAC Woman of the Year, adding another prize to her collection. She was named SWAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year after a successful final season at Alabama State.

After receiving the award, she issued a statement on the school’s athletic website in which she reflected on her time at Alabama State.

“Being a student-athlete at Alabama State University has given me the opportunity to network and build relationships that will last for a lifetime,” Emmanuel said. “I was able to establish a platform for myself, advocate for other student athletes, and give back to my community.”

Emmanuel is a role model student-athlete who has accomplished so much on and off the court. She has twice been inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma Honors Society and has been named to the SWAC All-Academic squad.

Last season, she topped the league in scoring with 16.8 points per game. In Emmanuel’s final season, Alabama State went 16-15. In her career, she scored exactly 2,000 points. This spring, Emmanuel declared for the WNBA draft but was not chosen. It is unknown if her basketball career is over.

Ayana Emmanuel had a tremendous career with Alabama State women’s basketball in the SWAC, and she was able to collect one more award before leaving college. This is an achievement she should be very proud of, and she should continue to be a role model for young women and basketball players.