Sydney Kin, Tom Jessee Receive Top Awards as All-SSC Unveiled

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference recognized 13 women's basketball student-athletes as All-SSC in 2022-23. The University of Tampa, regular-season champions, boasts seven All-SSC awards, including Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and Coach of the Year. 

Tampa's Sydney Kin is honored as the SSC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. The 6-3 forward/center piloted the Spartans to a 19-1 conference record, a third straight conference title, and the top seed in the SSC tournament. The senior from Carey, Ohio, finished the regular season first in SSC rebounding per game (10.0) and second in SSC scoring per game (18.5) across 28 contests. She is also first in league blocks per game (2.1) and field-goal percentage (.657). Kin is the fifth Tampa player to be honored as Player of the Year¹, the fourth Spartan named Newcomer of the Year², and the first SSC women's basketball athlete to win both awards in the same season.

Tampa's Tom Jessee is named Coach of the Year by his peers for the fourth consecutive season, seventh overall⁶. Jessee guided the Spartans to the program's eighth conference title and third straight, following a 19-1 conference record. The 2022-23 Spartans reached No. 3 in the nation by leading the SSC in scoring defense (58.2 ppg) and scoring margin (+14.8). Jessee continues to hold the second most Coach of the Year awards in SSC women's basketball history. He is also the first coach to win the prize four straight seasons since 1989-90⁷.

Kin was joined on the first team by teammate Melijah Sullivan. No stranger to SSC honors, Sullivan is now a three-time all-SSC recipient after being named first-team in 2021 and second-team in 2020. She was also recognized as the 2021 SSC Player of the Year. The senior from Bartow, Fla., is averaging 14.8 points per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field. She currently ranks fifth in program history with 1,554 career points while ranking in the school's top 10 in games played (1), minutes (2), field goals made (4), games started (4), field goal percentage (7), and assists (9).

Representing the Spartans as second-team all-SSC is Audrey Ramsey. The sophomore guard is averaging 9.7 points per game while being a mainstay in the Spartan lineup through 29 games. The recipient of the overall UT Student-Athlete of the Year Award in 2022 for her academic success has also maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA while graduating early and entering the graduate program.

Kin was also among the five people recognized on the all-newcomer team.

All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by a vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.

Player of the Year: Sydney Kin, Tampa

Defensive Player of the Year: Lauryn Vieira, Eckerd

Newcomer of the Year: Sydney Kin, Tampa

Freshman of the Year: K'Nari Holliday, Barry

Coach of the Year: Tom Jessee, Tampa

* = 2021-22 All-SSC First Team          ^ = 2021-22 All-SSC Second Team    Δ = 2021-22 All-SSC Player of the Year

~ = 2020-21 All-SSC First Team          † = 2019-20 All-SSC Second Team    ‡ = 2019-20 Freshman of the Year

 1 UT Players of the Year: Crystal Ashley (1993-94), April Lindsey (1995-96), Jessie McDowell (2002-03), Dori Nagy (2019-20), Melijah Sullivan (2020-21)

2 UT Newcomers of the Year: Ellen Nurmi (2013-14), Dori Nagy (2018-19), LaShayla Wright-Ponder (2019-20)

3 EC Defensive Players of the Year: Kacie Juday (2017-18)

4 Two-Time DPOY: Lynisha Nelson, Florida Tech (2008-09 & 2010-11); Carly McLendon, Rollins (2016-17 & 2018-19)

5 BU Freshmen of the Year: Mary Schaeffer (1989-90), Angie Williams (1996-97), Karla Mast (2003-04)

6Tom Jessee (UT) Coach of the Year: 2002-03, 2009-10, 2013-14, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22

7 Glenn Wilkes (Rollins) leads with nine Coach of the Year awards, Wilkes won four in a row from 1986-87 to 1989-9