CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference released the women’s basketball regular season awards Tuesday afternoon and Georgia Simonsen (Freshman of the Year, second-team all-conference), Head Coach Mike McGuire (Co-Coach of the Year), Joi Williams (first-team all-conference), and Angelina Nice (all-academic) were the four Highlanders selected.
Simonsen led the conference with 35 blocks, also ranking in the top 125 nationally in the category. She led the Big South in field goal percentage and total blocks during conference play. The Fairfax, Va. native averaged the seventh-most points in conference play with 14 a game while also placing 10th in rebounds. Simonsen led all Big South freshmen in a host of categories, including scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and blocks. She was one of 10 Big South players to have at least three double-doubles in the conference and was the only freshman to do so. Simonsen scored in double figures in 19 games and had seven Big South Freshman of the Week awards. She is the fifth Radford player to earn Big South Freshman of the Year in program history, joining the likes of Shannan Wilkey (1990-91), Kim Hairston (1995-96), Corri Fertitta (2004-05), and Ashlyn Traylor-Walker (2022-23).
McGuire received his fourth ‘Coach of the Year’ award from the Big South and his first since 2019. He now is tied for the second-most coaching awards in Big South women’s basketball history with former Liberty and Gardner-Webb coach Rick Reeves. The Roanoke, Va. native became the winningest coach in Radford basketball history (both men’s and women’s) on November 11 vs. Loyola and took his 200th career win on December 18 at Hampton. McGuire led Radford to their fourth 20-win season under his tutelage after a victory at Gardner-Webb on Saturday. He and Gardner-Webb Head Coach Terri Williams share the award for the 2025-26 season. It’s the first time since 2000-01 that two coaches share the award. McGuire and Charlene Curtis are the program’s two coaches to earn the award multiple times.
Williams was one of two players averaging 14 points a game with at least 2.4 made threes per game in the Big South, with the other being the Player of the Year, Macy Spencer (High Point). Her 76 made three-pointers are the second-most in a season in program history. Williams ranked second in the conference in three-point percentage during Big South play as well as sixth in scoring and seventh in field goal percentage. The junior was one of 60 NCAA Division I players to score 36+ points in a game in the double overtime triumph over Navy on December 4. She was also the first Radford player to score 36 points in a game since 1994. Nationally, Williams ranked in the top 75 in three-pointers per game and top 125 in steals. She is the first Radford player to make first-team all-conference in consecutive seasons since Da’Naria Erwin Spencer in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Nice received Big South All-Academic honors for the first time in her career. The sophomore holds a 3.96 cumulative GPA and is a marketing major. Entering the program as a walk-on last season, Nice has been a key player off the bench. She finished fourth on the team in scoring with 7.9 points a game. Her performance at the Cleveland State Invitational over Thanksgiving week warranted all-tourney honors. Nice’s 2025-26 highlights include a career-high 23 points against Loyola Maryland on November 11 and a buzzer-beating three-pointer to force overtime at Longwood on February 4.
The Highlanders head to the Air Force Reserves Big South Tournament in Johnson City, Tenn., aiming for a crown and birth in the NCAA Tournament. They begin with a matchup against Charleston Southern at 6:00 p.m. in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 5. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased HERE.
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