BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Fresh off its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023-24, the University of Tennessee at Martin women’s basketball team was picked to finish the 2024-25 Ohio Valley Conference season second by a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, the league announced Wednesday morning. In addition, junior Anaya Brown and sophomore Kenley McCarn were named to the 2024-25 OVC Players to Watch List.
UT Martin garnered 180 total points in the annual poll and two first-place votes, finishing only behind last season’s champions, Southern Indiana. The Skyhawks will return four starters in 2024-25, along with three other letterwinners, 79.1-percent of their scoring and 72.4-percent of their rebounding.
In addition to 2023-24 All-OVC first teamers Brown and McCarn, 2022-23 All-OVC selection Shae Littleford returns to UT Martin for her junior year, after missing the majority of last season due to injury. Also returning for the Skyhawks is Lexi Rubel who was sixth in the OVC in rebounding a year ago with 7.1 boards per game and fifth in assists per game at 3.6.
Brown finished the 2023-24 campaign fifth in the league in scoring at 15.1 points per game and third in rebounding at 8.8. Meanwhile, McCarn put together an outstanding freshman season in which she led the Skyhawks with 16.5 points, the third highest average in the OVC, while also posting 4.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. As a duo, Brown and McCarn combined for 48.5-percent of UT Martin’s scoring last year and 39.4-percent of its rebounding.
The Skyhawks 2024-25 campaign gets its unofficial start Oct. 29 with Skyhawk Madness at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center in Martin at 6 p.m. UT Martin will then host its lone exhibition Oct. 30 against Division II Trevecca at 6 p.m., followed by the season opener at home against North Alabama, Nov. 4, also at 6 p.m.
2024-25 OVC Women’s Basketball Predicted Order of Finish
1. Southern Indiana (20) – 200
2. UT Martin (2) – 180
3. Eastern Illinois – 145
4. Tennessee Tech – 140
5. Little Rock – 135
6. Western Illinois – 119
7. Lindenwood – 81
8. SIUE – 61
Morehead State – 61
10. Tennessee State – 59
11. Southeast Missouri – 29
2024-25 OVC Players to Watch
Eastern Illinois
Macy McGlone, F, Sr., Greenville, Wis.
Lalani Ellis, G, So., Milwaukee, Wis.
Lindenwood
Ellie Brueggemann, G, So., Tulsa, Ok.
Brooke Coffey, F, So., St. Charles, Mo.
Little Rock
Jayla Brooks, G, Gr., Sachse, Texas
Faith Lee, F, Jr., Monroe, La.
Morehead State
Kate Novik, G, So., Grodno, Belarus
Aileen Marquez, G, Sr., Arden, N.C.
SIUE
KK Rodriguez, G, Sr., St. Louis, Mo.
Macy Silvey, G, Jr., Glen Carbon, Ill.
Southeast Missouri
Indiya Bowen, G, So., Horn Lake Miss.
Zoe Best, G, Fr., St. Louis, Mo.
Southern Indiana
Vanessa Shafford, G, Sr., Linton, Ind.
Meredith Raley, F, Gr., Haubstadt, Ind.
Madi Webb, F, Gr., Bedford, Ind.
Tennessee State
Sanaa’ St. Andre, G, Gr., Oakdale, La.
XaiOnna Whitfield, G, Fr., Oxford, Ala.
Tennessee Tech
Reghan Grimes, G, Jr., Nashville, Tenn.
Peyton Carter, G, Gr., Abingdon, Va.
UT Martin
Anaya Brown, F, Jr., Lexington, Ky.
Kenley McCarn, G, So., Melbourne, Ark.
Western Illinois
Raegan McCowan, G, So., Lebanon, Mo.
Addi Brownfield, G, Jr., Boonville, Mo.
