VIDEO: Braelyn Wykle Interview

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. –  As the Lady Eagles get set to defend their South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championship, it is time to preview the 2022-23 Carson-Newman women's basketball roster starting with a look at the backcourt with junior Braelyn Wykle of the preseason South Atlantic Conference favorites.

To begin the season, coach Mike Mincey's team is ranked ninth in the country and returns seven players with starting experience including five with at least 19 for their career. Among five graduates, Abby Wilson earned the starting point guard role for the stretch run of last season tallying a pair of double-digit scoring efforts in the postseason earning a SAC All-Tournament team nod.

"They were really good at knowing their roles," Wykle said. "I think that's what we need this year is players to step up and fill those roles. A lot of times people look up to you because you are a senior and being someone who is composed and knows what to do and say in situations."

Wykle leads the returning group of players having tallied 23 career awards and has risen to third on the program's all-time scoring list needing 209 points to reach second and 472 to become the second 2,000-point scorer in the school's history. The Greeneville, Tenn. native is the second-most accurate three-point shooter in school history and currently ranks fourth in total made triples need 67 to pass assistant coach Tatum Burstrom's all-time total.

In 82 career games, the sharpshooter has scored in double figures 72 times with 43 contests of at least 20 points. She is a career 47 percent shooter from the floor and has made 41 percent from the field. Entering the season, her 18.6 points per game ranks fourth among active Division II players and her 85.2 percent free-throw percentage is good for eighth in Division II and 16th among all divisions. Her overall point tally and three-point percentage rank in the top 50.

"I have really been focusing on being a better leader," Wykle said. "Letting myself be surrounded by the great players we have. We really do have really good players. As a team we come in every day whether we are ranked first in the conference or ranked last and come in and do our thing, taking each day in practice at a time and giving it our all."

Joining Wykle as key cogs returning to the fold is 2021-22 All-Freshman team selection Campbell Penland (Sevierville, Tenn.). The second-leading scorer among rookies last season showcased an all-around game scoring double figures 15 times with a dozen outings of at least three assists with five contests of at least three pilfers. She scored in double digits in each of her first two career games and led the team with 18 points, one shy of a season high, in a SAC Tournament semifinal win over Catawba.

"Campbell is a really good shooter," Wykle said. "Her confidence has stepped up this year a lot. She knows that we are all confident in her so that makes her more confident."

After being limited to seven games last year, Tori Rutherford (Rutledge, Tenn.) will be back as a key contributor. Through the first month of her career, she averaged nine points per game making 50 percent from the field dishing out 22 assists and posting 16 steals. In a demolition of Tusculum, the guard scored 16 points making six of eight from the field.

Makayla Alvey (Dandridge, Tenn.) averaged 15 minutes per game in her first year on the hardwood tallying 35 steals in 33 games adding one game with 10 rebounds at Mars Hill on Feb. 16.

Three newcomers enter the fray for the backcourt led by Emily Gonzalez (Lenoir City, Tenn.) who scored a team-high 13 points going 6-for-9 from the field in C-N's exhibition game at fifth-ranked Tennessee. The Bearden product netted her 1,000th point early in her senior year. Caroline Clemmer (Brentwood, Tenn.) went 2-for-3 from the floor against the Lady Vols and Ashlan Crittenden (Charleston, Tenn.) won a state title in 2019 at Bradley Central.

"It's going to be a test for us," Wykle said. "We have to be gritty because a lot of those games are going to be on the road. I think if we can get past those especially on the road then we can get back home."

In part two of the preseason preview, Lindsey Taylor (Maryville, Tenn.) takes a glance at the frontcourt that looks to replace four key players that graduated last year but features a pair of all-conference returners. The article will be released on Monday.

- CN -