WHITEFISH — After an all-American women’s basketball season last year, Frontier Conference coaches again have high expectations for Brianna King. The Montana Western senior was selected the conference’s preseason player of the year, as voted by the league’s coaches.
King averaged 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game for the Bulldogs last year, becoming the program’s first first-team all-American since Katherine Sunwall in 2007. King was fourth in the nation in scoring and sixth in steals. She was named the Frontier Conference player of the year and newcomer of the year in helping Western to a 27-9 overall record and 13-5 mark in the conference.
The Bulldogs won three games in the NAIA national tournament, with King scoring a program-record 40 points in Western’s 74-61 win over Menlo (Calif.) College in the quarterfinal round. Western ended its season with a loss to Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) in the semifinals.
King, a 5-foot-5 senior guard, is from Spokane.
King was the only player from Western to receive a preseason honor. Carroll College placed two players on the preseason all-conference team, and University of Providence, Montana Tech and Lewis-Clark State each had one recognized.
Hannah Dean, a 6-1 senior post, and Cassidy (Hashley) Kosena, a 6-2 redshirt senior post, represent Carroll on the preseason all-conference team. They’re joined by Providence’s Parker Esary, a 6-1 sophomore post, Tech’s Shay Potter, a 6-2 junior post, and L-C State’s Hailey Turner, a 6-1 senior post.
Preseason player of the year
Brianna King, Montana Western, 5-5, senior guard
Preseason all-conference team
Hannah Dean, Carroll College, 6-1, senior post
Parker Esary, University of Providence, 6-1, sophomore post
Cassidy (Hashley) Kosena, Carroll College, 6-2, redshirt senior forward
Shay Potter, Montana Tech, 6-2, junior post
Hailey Turner, Lewis-Clark State, 6-1, senior post/forward
