All-Big West Teams

IRVINE, Calif. - Five Anteaters have been named to the 2023 All-Big West Women's Basketball Team the conference office announced Monday afternoon.
 
Hunter Hernandez was a first-team selection, while Nikki Tom, Déja Lee and Nevaeh Parkinson earned honorable mention recognition. Parkinson was also tabbed the league's Best Sixth Player, and Diaba Konate was named to the Big West All-Defensive Team.
 
Hunter Hernandez ranked eighth in the league in scoring (14.1 ppg) and 11th in rebounding (6.2 rpg) in 14 conference games played. She also averaged 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals, while shooting 41% from the field and 83% at the free throw line. The 5-foot-9 sophomore guard reached double figures in scoring 15 times with 11 coming in Big West play. In addition, Hernandez recorded three double-doubles and three 20-point performances, including a career-high 25 at Cal Poly on Feb. 9. She was a two-time Big West Player of the Week, receiving the distinction on Jan. 23 and Feb. 13.
 
This is the sixth year in a row UCI has had a representative on the six-member All-Big West First Team, while it is Hernandez's second postseason award after being selected to the All-Freshman Team in 2022.
 
Junior Nevaeh Parkinson is the second 'Eater in program history to win the Best Sixth Player specialty award, and first since Kelly Cochran in 2009. In 18 Big West games played, the 6-foot-3 center averaged 8.4 points and 7.3 rebounds, while shooting a team-best 52% from the field. She finished the regular season ranked first in the conference in offensive boards (3.1/game) and fourth in total rebounds. Parkinson had five double-figure rebounding games and three double-doubles in league action. In her only start of the year, she put up a career-high 16 points and 13 boards at UC San Diego on Feb. 23. She was a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor against the Tritons.
 
Nikki Tom has been the engine of this year's squad, starting every game and averaging a league-leading 39.1 minutes in conference action. She has logged 35+ minutes in 16-straight contests. In the Anteaters' 18 Big West regular-season games, the 5-foot-9 sophomore guard averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.8 steals. She ranked among the top-10 in the league in steals, 3-pointers made (1.6/gm) and free throw percentage (78%). Overall, Tom has 12 double-figure scoring games with a career-high 18 points coming against LIU on Nov. 25. She went 6-for-7 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc against the Sharks. She also established single-game career-highs with six assists and five steals vs. Westcliff (Dec. 14).
 
Sophomore Déja Lee made her presence known in her first Big West start of the season as she finished with a career-high 22 points and eight rebounds in a 67-38 win over UC Davis on Jan. 5. She had her second 20-point effort against UC San Diego (Feb. 2), where she also set career bests in assists (7) and 3-pointers made (5). In regular-season conference play, the 5-foot-9 guard averaged 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals. On the year, Lee has 12 double-figure scoring games including in three of the last four contests.
 
Parkinson, Tom and Lee all earned their first career postseason honors.
 
Diaba Konate was named to the All-Defensive Team after ranking third in the Big West with 2.3 steals per outing. She had at least one takeaway in 25 of 26 games played with a season-high five at Fresno State on Dec. 11. Her 59 steals on the year are tied for 10th in single-season school history. The 5-foot-7 junior point guard is also tops in the conference and eighth in the nation in free throw percentage (90.9%), while she is third in the league in assists (3.5 apg). In her collegiate career, Konate has put up 1,045 points, 340 rebounds, 372 assists and 211 steals.
 
UC Irvine won the program's first regular-season conference title and heads into the 2023 Hercules Tires Big West Championships presented by The Hawaiian Islands as the No. 1 seed. The Anteaters will face the winner of a first-round match-up between No. 8 CSUN and No. 9 CSU Bakersfield in a 12 p.m. quarterfinal game on Wednesday, March 8, at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada.