IRVING, Texas – IRVING, Texas – Rice junior guard Victoria Flores has been named the 2026 American Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, as voted on by the league’s 14 head coaches. Flores led the Owls to their first regular-season conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the American Women’s Basketball Championship.
Flores is one of five major individual award winners from Rice, joining center Shelby Hayes, who was named Most Improved Player; guard Louann Battiston, who was Sixth Player of the Year; guard Hailey Adams, who earned the Ambassador Award; and Head Coach Lindsay Edmonds, who was named Coach of the Year.
East Carolina senior guard Kennedy Fauntleroy earned two awards, Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. North Texas senior forward Talyah Nestor was also selected as Defensive Player of the Year. Tulane guard Mecailin Marshall was named Freshman of the Year.
Flores is the first Owl to win Player of the Year honors in The American. She averaged 14.1 points per game in conference play while shooting 37.8 percent from the floor and 35.1 percent from behind the arc. Flores also grabbed 3.4 rebounds per game and led the league in free-throw percentage at 89.7 percent.
Fauntleroy and Nestor were named Defensive Players of the Year. This marks the fifth time a Pirate has been named Defensive Player of the Year, joining Danae McNeal (2023, 2024) and Lashonda Monk (2020, 2021). Fauntleroy averaged 2.7 steals and one block per game in conference action.
This marks the first time a Mean Green player has been named Defensive Player of the Year. Nestor averaged 1.6 steals per game while also averaging nine defensive rebounds per game, the ninth-most in the nation.
Marshall makes it back-to-back seasons that a Green Wave player has earned Freshman of the Year honors. Marshall was second on the team in scoring with 10.4 points per game while adding four rebounds per game in conference action.
Hayes becomes the first Owl to be named Most Improved Player. Showing tremendous growth from her junior to senior seasons, Hayes averaged 12.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks per game after averaging just 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game a season ago.
Battiston averaged 6.7 points per game for the Owls as their sixth player, logging 19.6 minutes per game in conference play. She shot an impressive 42.1 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from behind the arc while adding 2.6 assists per game.
Fauntleroy becomes the second Pirate to be named Newcomer of the Year, joining I’Tiana Taylor (2015). She leads the Pirates in scoring at 15.2 points per game while shooting 39.3 percent from the floor. Defensively, she averaged 2.6 steals and one block per game.
Edmonds earned her first Coach of the Year honor after leading the Owls to a 27-4 overall record and a 17-1 mark in conference play. She guided Rice to its first American Conference regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the American Women’s Basketball Championship.
Adams was honored with the American’s Ambassador Award, which recognizes sportsmanship, ethical behavior, fair play, integrity and community service. Adams worked with the B.I.G. Love organization in the fight against pediatric cancer. For the second consecutive season, Adams organized a basketball clinic with the organization for several children and their families, who participated in various drills and activities with the team, including designing a team warm-up that Rice wore for its game against Tulane. For her senior project, Adams is also working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help create a prosthetic arm for a child. Adams was also one of 64 women’s basketball student-athletes named a Kay Yow Servant Leader Award winner this season, a prestigious honor recognizing those who exemplify leadership, selflessness and service.
Fauntleroy, Nestor and Flores were three of the five All-Conference First Team selections, joined by Rice senior guard Dominique Ennis and Tulsa redshirt senior forward Hannah Riddick.
The All-Conference Second Team included North Texas junior guard Aysia Proctor, South Florida senior forward Carla Brito, Temple junior guard Kaylah Turner, UTSA senior forward Cheyenne Rowe and Tulsa junior guard Mady Cartwright.
The All-Conference Third Team featured Charlotte senior guard Princess Anderson, East Carolina senior forward Keanna Rembert, Rice senior center Shelby Hayes, South Florida graduate guard Edyn Battle and Tulsa redshirt junior guard Stefanie Ingram.
Fauntleroy, Nestor, Battiston, Battle and Marshall were named to the All-Newcomer Team, joined by Charlotte graduate guard Tanajah Hayes, Memphis junior guard Daejah Richmond, South Florida graduate guard Katie Davidson, Temple junior forward Saniyah Craig, Tulane junior guard Kanija Daniel and Tulsa freshman guard Dora Toman.
The five-player All-Defensive Team featured Fauntleroy, Richmond, Nestor, Adams and Rowe.
2025-26 AMERICAN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HONORS
Player of the Year
Victoria Flores, Jr., G, Rice
Defensive Player of the Year
Kennedy Fauntleroy, Sr., G, East Carolina
Megan Nestor, Sr., F, North Texas
Freshman of the Year
Mecailin Marshall, Fr., G, Tulane
Most Improved Player
Shelby Hayes, Sr., C, Rice
Sixth Player of the Year
Louann Battiston, Jr., G, Rice
Newcomer of the Year
Kennedy Fauntleroy, Sr., G, East Carolina
Ambassador Award
Hailey Adams, R-Jr., G, Rice
Coach of the Year
Lindsay Edmonds, Rice*
First Team All-Conference
Kennedy Fauntleroy, Sr., G, East Carolina
Megan Nestor, Sr., F, North Texas
Victoria Flores, Jr., G, Rice
Dominique Ennis, Sr., G, Rice
Hannah Riddick, R-Sr., F, Tulsa
Second Team All-Conference
Aysia Proctor, Jr., G, North Texas
Carla Brito, Sr., F, South Florida
Kaylah Turner, Jr., G, Temple
Cheyenne Rowe, Sr., F, UTSA
Mady Cartwright, Jr., G, Tulsa
Third Team All-Conference
Princess Anderson, Sr., G, Charlotte
Keanna Rembert, East Carolina
Shelby Hayes, Sr., C, Rice
Edyn Battle, Gr., G, South Florida
Stefanie Ingram, R-Jr., G, South Florida
All-Newcomer Team
Tanajah Hayes, Gr., G, Charlotte
Kennedy Fauntleroy, Sr., G, East Carolina*
Daejah Richmond, Jr., G, Memphis
Megan Nestor, Sr., F, North Texas*
Louann Battiston, Jr., G, Rice
Edyn Battle, Gr., G, South Florida
Katie Davidson, Gr., G, South Florida
Saniyah Craig, Jr., F, Temple
Kanija Daniel, Jr., G, Tulane
Mecailin Marshall, G, Tulane
Dora Toman, Fr., G, Tulsa
All-Defensive Team
Kennedy Fauntleroy, Sr., G, East Carolina
Daejah Richmond, Jr., G, Memphis
Megan Nestor, Sr., F, North Texas
Hailey Adams, R-Jr., G, Rice
Cheyenne Rowe, Sr., F, UTSA
* denotes unanimous selection