Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Hayes, Carter Earn SEC Postseason Honors
March 01, 2022 | Women's Basketball
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State women's basketball's Anastasia Hayes and Denae Carter earn SEC postseason honors in a vote by the league's head coaches, the SEC announced on Tuesday, March 1. Hayes was named a Second Team All-SEC performer, while Carter earned All-Freshman Team accolades.
After an impressive senior season in the Maroon and White, Anastasia Hayes earned Second Team All-SEC honors. Hayes, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., was electric for the Bulldogs this season as she led the Bulldogs in scoring at 18.8 points per game while finishing second in the SEC in scoring average. Hayes was even more impressive in SEC games averaging 20.6 ppg against the SEC, the second-best average in the conference. Hayes scored in double-figures in 23 of the 24 games she played and topped the 15-point milestone in 19 games.
During the SEC season, Hayes scored over 20 points in 11 games, including a streak of six straight games between Jan. 27 and Feb. 15. She closed out the regular season with 110 rebounds, 74 assists, 33 steals and five blocked shots while shooting 47% from the field and 77% from the charity stripe. Her field goal and free throw percentage are both career bests.
Hayes has scored 1,963 points in her impressive career, grabbed 500 rebounds, dished out 443 assists, and earned 200 steals. She scored her 1,800th career point against Texas A&M on Jan. 30 and her 1,900th career point on Feb. 17 against LSU while earning her 500th rebound on senior day against Arkansas. Her 1,963 career points scored are the 11th most by an active Division I player, and she is one of just two active Division I players that have scored over 1,900 career points and have over 430 assists in their career.
Denae Carter earned SEC All-Freshman honors after an incredible campaign that had her as one of the top shot-blocking and rebounding freshmen in America. Before having her season cut short due to injury, Carter ranked among the nation's best in every rebounding and shot-blocking category, despite being an undersized center. She ranked second amongst all freshmen nationwide, 27th overall and fourth among SEC players, in blocked shots per game (2.1), while her 40 total blocked shots ranked as the fourth most amongst all freshmen, fifth in the SEC and 29th in the country.
Carter pulled down 154 total rebounds during her freshman campaign, which ranked ninth in the SEC and third amongst all freshmen nationwide. She was also the only SEC freshman with over 150 boards at the time of her injury. She averaged the sixth-most rebounds per contest in the SEC at 8.1 per game. Her rebounding average was the most for an SEC freshman and third-most amongst all freshmen in the country.
In 19 games this season, Carter averaged 6.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 24 minutes of action. She added 40 blocks, 19 steals and 16 assists to her totals. She recorded four double-doubles on the season, with her first career double-double coming against McNeese on Dec. 1 when she scored 14 points with a season-high 14 rebounds. Against UT Martin, Carter set a season-best mark for blocked shots at five.
SEC Postseason Honors
First Team All-SEC
Kiara Smith, Florida
Jenna Staiti, Georgia
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Khayla Pointer, LSU
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Destanni Henderson, South Carolina
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Second Team All-SEC
Brittany Davis, Alabama
Amber Ramirez, Arkansas
Aicha Coulibaly, Auburn
Que Morrison, Georgia
Alexis Morris, LSU
Anastasia Hayes, Mississippi State
Aijha Blackwell, Missouri
Hayley Frank, Missouri
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Tamari Key, Tennessee
All-Freshman Team
Samara Spencer, Arkansas
Jersey Wolfenbarger, Arkansas
Alberte Rimdal, Florida
Jada Walker, Kentucky
Denae Carter, Mississippi State
Sara Puckett, Tennessee
Sacha Washington, Vanderbilt
Iyana Moore, Vanderbilt
All-Defensive Team
Kiara Smith, Florida
Que Morrison, Georgia
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Tamari Key, Tennessee
Jordyn Cambridge, Vanderbilt
Coach of the Year – Dawn Staley
Player of the Year – Aliyah Boston
Defensive Player of the Year – Aliyah Boston
Freshman of the Year – Samara Spencer
Sixth Woman of the Year – Angel Baker
Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Mikayla Coombs
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's basketball on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateWBK.
After an impressive senior season in the Maroon and White, Anastasia Hayes earned Second Team All-SEC honors. Hayes, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., was electric for the Bulldogs this season as she led the Bulldogs in scoring at 18.8 points per game while finishing second in the SEC in scoring average. Hayes was even more impressive in SEC games averaging 20.6 ppg against the SEC, the second-best average in the conference. Hayes scored in double-figures in 23 of the 24 games she played and topped the 15-point milestone in 19 games.
During the SEC season, Hayes scored over 20 points in 11 games, including a streak of six straight games between Jan. 27 and Feb. 15. She closed out the regular season with 110 rebounds, 74 assists, 33 steals and five blocked shots while shooting 47% from the field and 77% from the charity stripe. Her field goal and free throw percentage are both career bests.
Hayes has scored 1,963 points in her impressive career, grabbed 500 rebounds, dished out 443 assists, and earned 200 steals. She scored her 1,800th career point against Texas A&M on Jan. 30 and her 1,900th career point on Feb. 17 against LSU while earning her 500th rebound on senior day against Arkansas. Her 1,963 career points scored are the 11th most by an active Division I player, and she is one of just two active Division I players that have scored over 1,900 career points and have over 430 assists in their career.
Denae Carter earned SEC All-Freshman honors after an incredible campaign that had her as one of the top shot-blocking and rebounding freshmen in America. Before having her season cut short due to injury, Carter ranked among the nation's best in every rebounding and shot-blocking category, despite being an undersized center. She ranked second amongst all freshmen nationwide, 27th overall and fourth among SEC players, in blocked shots per game (2.1), while her 40 total blocked shots ranked as the fourth most amongst all freshmen, fifth in the SEC and 29th in the country.
Carter pulled down 154 total rebounds during her freshman campaign, which ranked ninth in the SEC and third amongst all freshmen nationwide. She was also the only SEC freshman with over 150 boards at the time of her injury. She averaged the sixth-most rebounds per contest in the SEC at 8.1 per game. Her rebounding average was the most for an SEC freshman and third-most amongst all freshmen in the country.
In 19 games this season, Carter averaged 6.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 24 minutes of action. She added 40 blocks, 19 steals and 16 assists to her totals. She recorded four double-doubles on the season, with her first career double-double coming against McNeese on Dec. 1 when she scored 14 points with a season-high 14 rebounds. Against UT Martin, Carter set a season-best mark for blocked shots at five.
SEC Postseason Honors
First Team All-SEC
Kiara Smith, Florida
Jenna Staiti, Georgia
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
Khayla Pointer, LSU
Shakira Austin, Ole Miss
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Destanni Henderson, South Carolina
Jordan Horston, Tennessee
Second Team All-SEC
Brittany Davis, Alabama
Amber Ramirez, Arkansas
Aicha Coulibaly, Auburn
Que Morrison, Georgia
Alexis Morris, LSU
Anastasia Hayes, Mississippi State
Aijha Blackwell, Missouri
Hayley Frank, Missouri
Zia Cooke, South Carolina
Tamari Key, Tennessee
All-Freshman Team
Samara Spencer, Arkansas
Jersey Wolfenbarger, Arkansas
Alberte Rimdal, Florida
Jada Walker, Kentucky
Denae Carter, Mississippi State
Sara Puckett, Tennessee
Sacha Washington, Vanderbilt
Iyana Moore, Vanderbilt
All-Defensive Team
Kiara Smith, Florida
Que Morrison, Georgia
Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Tamari Key, Tennessee
Jordyn Cambridge, Vanderbilt
Coach of the Year – Dawn Staley
Player of the Year – Aliyah Boston
Defensive Player of the Year – Aliyah Boston
Freshman of the Year – Samara Spencer
Sixth Woman of the Year – Angel Baker
Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Mikayla Coombs
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's basketball on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateWBK.
– HailState.com –
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballWOMEN'S BASKETBALL | Sam Purcell, Favour Nwaedozi vs Florida - 3/4/26
Wednesday, March 04
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | Sam Purcell Media Session - 2/24/26
Tuesday, February 24
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | Sam Purcell Media Session - 2/18/26
Wednesday, February 18
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | Highlights at Arkansas - 2/16/26
Tuesday, February 17