Ole Miss forward Shakira Austin named Preseason All-SEC

OLE MISS ATHLETICS- Ole Miss women’s basketball senior Shakira Austin has been named Preseason All-SEC, and the Rebels have been picked to finish eighth in the SEC Preseason Media Poll released on Tuesday.

The No. 8 preseason slot is the highest for Ole Miss in the media poll since 2015-16, when the Rebels were predicted to finish seventh. Associated Press No. 1 South Carolina was voted to win the conference by the media, and was followed by No. 15 Tennessee, No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 13 Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas and LSU. Ole Miss received one vote in the AP Preseason Poll also released on Tuesday.

This is the second year in a row Austin has been named to at least one Preseason All-SEC team, after making the Coaches Second-Team last season. Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard was chosen for Preseason Player of the Year, and the other three media-selected Preseason All-SEC members were Khayla Pointer of LSU, and both Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke of South Carolina.

Ole Miss women’s basketball is coming off a historic postseason run last year, and the Rebels will return a star-studded roster in 2021-22 for Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s fourth season as head coach. Leading that charge will be Austin, who dominated in her first season at Ole Miss, winning the C Spire Gillom Trophy while also earning Honorable Mention All-America, First-Team All-SEC, and she was also named a member of the Lisa Leslie Top-10 list.

Austin will be joined by the likes of reigning SEC Freshman of the Year, Madison Scott, and SEC All-Freshman member, Snudda Collins, as well as returning stalwarts Donnetta Johnson and Mimi Reid. This year they are also joined by highly-touted newcomers like Angel Baker and Lashonda Monk. Ole Miss went 15-12 overall in 2020-21, which included three top-25 wins, the Rebels’ first trip to the SEC Quarterfinal since 2010, and the furthest postseason run in program history that ended with an appearance in the WNIT title game.