VIDEO: Braelyn Wykle Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – For the first time since the 2014-15 season, a Carson-Newman freshman is the South Atlantic Conference's Player of the Week as Braelyn Wykle earns her first career honor announced by the league Monday.
"I think it is a really good accomplishment," Wykle said. "You mentioned some great players in the past that have the same as well. They put the time and work into it. I'm just trying to do the same."
The last rookie to earn a weekly honor was Jecca Simerly who was given the laurel on Dec. 1, 2014. Wykle becomes the third freshman in coach Mike Mincey's tenure to be lauded with Tatum Burstrom getting the nod on March 4, 2013.
Last week, the Greeneville, Tenn. native led Carson-Newman to wins over UVa-Wise and Wingate scoring 52 points shooting 54 percent from the field and converting 10 of 20 three-point attempts. She added five assists, four steals and four rebounds.
Braelyn Wykle continued her offensive onslaught with a career-high 29 points in the Wednesday win over the Cavaliers. The rookie matched the program record with seven three-pointers in the game, the second time in the last four games for Wykle and fifth time in school history. Overall, the Greeneville, Tenn. native went 9-for-17 from the field and 7-for-12 from deep adding four assists and three rebounds.
�� SAC Player of the Week ��@B_Wykle has been given the league's weekly laurel aided by a program record-tying 7⃣ three-pointers against Wise last week. pic.twitter.com/0fWOmQBN1d
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CNathletics) January 27, 2020
Leading the Lady Eagles to their first win at Wingate in seven years, Wykle scored at least 20 points for the third straight game leading all players with 23 going 10-for-18 from the field in a 22-point victory.
After her performances over the weekend, the rookie is in the SAC's leading scorer in conference contests dropping in 18.5 points per game. She also leads the league in three-point percentage in that time with a 51 percent clip shooting 52 percent from the floor, the fifth-highest mark.
In her last five contests, the point guard is averaging 23 points per game with at least 20 points on four occasions. During that stretch, Wykle is shooting 55 percent from the field, 40-for-73, and 53 percent, 25-for-47, from long range. She has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 12 games after doing so twice in her first six.
"I started feeling more confident in myself," Wykle said. "I always had the confidence in my teammates. They made sure that I was able to perform to the best of my ability and they helped me with that too."
Among all Division II players, the player of the week is ninth in the nation in three-point percentage at 48 percent with 50 triples, 40th in the country. Wykle is third in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 1.29 mark.
Wykle leads the Lady Eagles in a Wednesday night contest in Harrogate, Tenn. against Lincoln Memorial for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off. Air time on the Eagle Sports Network starts at 5:15 with "The AEC Countdown to Tip-Off".
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