IRVING, Texas – South Florida forward Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu and guard Elena Tsineke, who led the Bulls to a 26-5 regular season and a 15-1 record in American Athletic Conference play, have been chosen as the 2023 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Players of the Year by the league’s 11 head coaches.
 
Mendjiadeu and Tsineke join Bulls guard Sammie Puisis – The American’s Newcomer of the Year – as the three major individual award winners from South Florida.
 
East Carolina, which enjoyed its best season as an American Athletic Conference member, had four individual honors among three players as guard Danae McNeal was named The American’s Defensive Player of the Year and Most Improved Player, freshman forward Amiya Joyner was chosen as Freshman of the Year, and head coach Kim McNeill took home Coach of the Year honors.
 
Houston guard Tiara Young was the unanimous choice of the coaches as The American’s Sixth Player of the Year, while Tulsa guard Maya Mayberry was the winner of the league’s Ambassador Award.
 
Mendjiadeu and Tsineke become the second teammates to be named as The American’s Players of the Year in the same season after UConn’s Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson earned the honor in 2017. They are the first players from South Florida to earn Player of the Year honors from The American.
 
Mendjiadeu enters the postseason as the conference leader in rebounding (12.5 rpg) and field goal percentage (.594) and is third in The American in scoring at 16.7 points per game. Tsineke is second in The American in scoring with 18.0 points per game and is sixth in the league at 3.2 assists per game after reaching double figures in scoring in 66 of her last 75 games.
 
Puisis, a transfer from Florida State, was named as The American’s Newcomer of the Year after she finished the regular season fourth in the conference in scoring at 16.3 points per game and tha national leader in 3-point field goals (108), partnering with Tsineke to comprise The American’s most potent backcourt tandem.
 
McNeal served as the catalyst for East Carolina’s breakout season as the Pirates went 20-9 overall and 11-5 in American Athletic Conference play entering this week’s conference championship. McNeal finished the regular season as The American leader in both scoring (18.2 ppg) and steals (3.0 per game), and becomes the third Defensive Player of the Year from East Carolina in the last four years (Lashonda Monk won in 2020 and 2021).
 
Joyner emerged as the league’s top freshman with 10.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in her first season, becoming the first ECU player to be named Freshman of the Year.
 
McNeill was selected by her peers as Coach of the Year after she and the Pirates far exceeded expectations for the 2022-23 season. East Carolina was picked last in The American’s preseason coaches’ poll, but finished as the No. 3 seed for this week’s conference tournament. ECU registered its first 20-win season since the 2014-15 campaign.
 
Young was unanimously named as Sixth Player of the Year after she averaged 12.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 25.7 minutes as she came off the bench in 26 of her 27 games. She enters the postseason as Houston’s second-leading scorer.
 
Mayberry was the winner of The American’s Ambassador Award, which recognizes sportsmanship, ethical behavior, fair play and integrity, along with community service off the court. Mayberry has started all 29 games and is one of four Tulsa players to average double figures in scoring at 10.9 points per game. 
 
Mendjiadeu, Tsineke and McNeal occupied three of the five spots on The American’s all-conference first team, while the two South Florida players were both unanimous choices. They were joined on the first team by Houston guard Laila Blair, who averaged 14.5 points per game, and Tulsa forward Temira Poindexter, who averaged 16.1 ppg. Tsineke was chosen to the first team for the third consecutive season. 
 
 
 
2022-23 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HONORS
 
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, F, South Florida
Elena Tsineke, G, South Florida
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Danae McNeal, G, East Carolina
 
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Amiya Joyner, F, East Carolina
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kim McNeill, East Carolina
 
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Danae McNeal, G, East Carolina
 
SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tiara Young, G, Houston *
 
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Sammie Puisis, G, South Florida
 
AMBASSADOR AWARD
Maya Mayberry, G, Tulsa
 
ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Danae McNeal, G, East Carolina *
Laila Blair, G, Houston
Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, F, South Florida *
Elena Tsineke, G, South Florida *
Temira Poindexter, F, Tulsa
 
ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Jamirah Shutes, G, Memphis
Sammie Puisis, G, South Florida
Jasmine Smith, G, SMU
Savannah Wilkinson, F, SMU
Aleah Nelson, G, Temple
 
ALL-CONFERENCE THIRD TEAM
Amiya Joyner, F, East Carolina
Madison Griggs, G, Memphis
Dynah Jones, G, Tulane
Jane Asinde, F, Wichita State
Trajata Colbert, F, Wichita State
 
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Amiya Joyner, F, East Carolina
Destiny Thomas, C, Memphis
Carla Brito, G/F, South Florida
Ella Brow, G, SMU
Ahrray Young, G, Tulsa