In their final year in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), the Lady Mavs left the league as champions, claiming the SBC title with a 76-61 win over top-seeded Troy. Starr Jacobs, a junior, was named MVP of the Sun Belt Tournament.
In addition, at the SBC Women’s Basketball Awards, three of UTA’s own took home top honors.
As voted on by head coaches, Jacobs was named the SBC Player of the Year, while head coach Shereka Wright earned Coach of the Year. Senior Terryn Milton earned Second Team All-SBC honors.
“What a great time to be a part of UT Arlington Athletics,” says Wright. “I’m so proud of Starr’s and Terryn’s honors. They were an integral part of our success this season.”
Jacobs is the second UTA player to ever take home the conference’s top honor and the first to win the award outright.
“Starr has come into our program and put a stamp on it since day one,” says Wright. “She has made great strides and continues to mature every day. The sky is the limit as her game will continue to get better.”
Jacobs is the first player in Lady Mavs history to finish the regular season averaging 20 points or more per game. She is also a four-time SBC Player of the Week, and she was named to the NCAA Starting 5 after a stellar performance against Appalachian State, when she scored 33 points and registered 10 rebounds, four steals, three assists, and a block.
In her final season with the Mavericks, Milton posted a consistent performance for the team, topping her previous career highs and ranking 12th in the nation for her assist-turnover ratio of 2.59.
Coach Wright became the second UT Arlington women’s coach to earn SBC Coach of the Year after Krista Gerlich earned the distinction in 2018-19. Wright led her team to a 17-7 record, including an 11-4 mark in conference play to finish the season.
“I’m incredibly blessed and humbled to be named Coach of the Year,” says Wright. “All the credit goes to my staff and players for helping me be the best mentor and leader for this program.”
