MVP Dillard leads 2023 AWBL All-Star team

 

ALEXANDRIA (Egypt) - On the day Alexandria Sporting Club (ASC) clinched the inaugural Africa Women's Basketball League (AWBL) title on home soil, Cierra Dillard was named the new-look competition's Most Valuable Player.

The American-Senegalese point guard played a major role by helping ASC win the historic AWBL edition as she averaged 12.7 points, 7.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds in seven games.

Dillard shot 5-for-9 from the floor, finishing 17 points and 4 assists as ASC demolished Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) 103-59 in the final of the nine-day competition.

Cierra Dillard (right)

It was Dillard's second straight appearance at a FIBA Africa clubs competition, having helped ASC to their first-ever Africa Champions Cup for Women a year ago in Maputo, Mozambique.

In addition to the 2023 AWBL MVP award, Dillard was named to the All-Star team, which included her teammate and last year's MVP Hagar Amer, Destiny Philox, Victoria Reynolds and Madina Okot.

Hagar Amer

Amer, an Egyptian national team player, was on a commanding mode in the AWBL final. She made 11 of her 18 shots to finish with game-highs of 32 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals and help ASC finish the newly-rebranded competition with a perfect 7-0 mark.

The 30-year-old Amer, who scooped the MVP award last year, led ASC with team-highs of 21.9 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

Rwanda Energy Group's (REG) shooting guard Destiney Philox, who was one of this year's AWBL highlights, was named to the All-Star for her leadership role throughout the tournament.

Destiney Philoxy

The Rwandese-American, who starred for Rwanda at 2023 Women's AfroBasket, scored 25 points and dished out 5 assist although REG fell short to Inter Clube 83-68 in the Third-Place game.

Nevertheless, Philox stamped her name to the AWBL's history books by setting a record for most points scored in a single game when she finished with 41 in a 101-97 Semi-Finals loss to KPA.

KPA's duo of Victoria Reynolds and Madina Okot completed the All-Tournament team as they helped the Kenyan champions reach the Semi-Finals for the very first time in the club's history.

Madina Okot

While Reynolds averaged a team-high 19 points per game and 4.7 assists per game, 19-year-old Okot, who finished as the AWBL's top rebounder, contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, REG's Tiffany Mitchell won the leading scorer award thanks to her 23.7 points per game; ASC's Destiny Pitts, who averaged 14.3 points, was the best three-point shooter after making 27 of her 44 three-point attempts. 

DR Congo's CNSS, who finished ninth with a 1-4 mark, were acknowledged with the Fair-Play award. 

FIBA