Carroll's Pickens is NAIA Player of Year

HELENA — Not only is Jamie Pickens the first Carroll College player to be first-team All-America in back-to-back seasons, on Monday she was announced as the 2024 NAIA National Women’s Player of the Year.

Pickens and Ashlee Maldonado, who just led Providence into the NAIA women’s championship game, were both first-team selections by the NAIA Women’s Basketball All-America Committee. Montana Western’s Jordan Sweeney was a second-team pick.

Pickens ranked first in the nation in field goal made (250, out of 487 shots), free throws (159 of 197), defensive rebounds (297), rebounds per game (11.3), blocks (54), points per 40 minutes (23.3) and was second in the nation in points per game (18.9). 

The Montana Lady Griz transfer recorded 25 double-doubles on the season and had four games in 30-plus points. The senior forward etched her name all over the Carroll record book. She’s the second Fighting Saint to score 2,000 career points (Jolene Fuzesy had 2,067), and grabbed the all-time rebound mark while helping Carroll to the NAIA semifinals. 

Maldonado becomes the second player in Providence history to be named first-team All-America. She led the country in games started and minutes played while averaging 18.0 points per game and ranking seventh nationally with 172 assists.

Sweeney was named an All-American for the second consecutive season; she was a third team selection in 2023. She led the Frontier Conference with averages of 20.6 points and 5.4 assists per game.