CANTON, Ga. — The Millsaps College women's basketball team was recognized with five Southern Athletic Association awards, following the regular season and following a vote of SAA head coaches on Tuesday. Senior Elyse Warren was voted the SAA Women's Basketball Defensive Athlete of the Year, while a trio made the All-Conference team, and junior Bailey Johnson made the SAA All-Sportsmanship Team.
Warren also made the All-SAA First Team alongside junior Garin Freeman, while junior Tia Anderson secured recognition on the All-SAA Second Team.
Hailing from Memphis, Tenn., Warren was an absolute force on both sides of the floor during her stellar senior campaign. She set both the conference single-season and career rebounding records with 418 and 1,158 boards, respectively. Across NCAA Division III, Warren ranks second in total and third in rebounds per game.
She also tied for fourth nationally with 21 double-doubles in just 24 games. Averaging 15.1 points per game, she ranks seventh in the conference.
The Rhodes Scholarship Finalist is also second in the league in field goal percentage at 54 percent (134-of-250 FG). Warren also has 29 steals, 10 blocks and nine assists entering the postseason.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association Division III National Player of the Week earns her fourth All-Conference accolade, appearing on the All-SAA First Team after an Honorable Mention nod her freshman season, and a pair of All-SAA Second Team appearances.
Freeman made the All-SAA First Team for the second straight season and third time overall after breaking out as an All-SAA Honorable Mention her freshman year.
In 2025-26, Freeman ranks third nationally with 168 assists and 6.7 dimes per game. She is also third in free-throw attempts (221) and free-throw makes (142).
Across the conference, the Little Rock, Ark., product is second in minutes per game (35), second in points (423), runner-up in points per contest (16.9), while also standing fourth with 59 steals. The guard is also averaging 4.4 rebounds per game, and has 13 blocks.
Anderson earns a spot on the All-SAA Second Team after making the Honorable Mention squad a year ago. A deep threat, Anderson paces the conference with 58 3-point makes and 175 attempts. Her 33.1 percent success rate is third in the SAA.
The Brusly, La., native is also fourth in points (400), points per game (16.0), field-goal percentage (45 percent), rebounds (196), and boards per game (7.8). A tireless worker, she also leads the conference at just over 35 minutes per game. Additionally, she is second into total attempts at 340 and makes at 153.
She also is connecting on 69.2 percent of free throws, while adding 37 steals, 36 assists and 14 blocks.
Johnson showed tremendous character throughout the season, earning a regular role in the starting lineup alongside her aforementioned teammates. Appearing in all 25 games to date, while starting 24 contests, Johnson shot an impressive 92.9 percent from the free-throw line (13-of-14 FT).
She added 5.4 points per game, 16 steals, 36 assists, two blocks and 1.6 rebounds per game.
The Millsaps College women's basketball team will be back in action in the 2026 SAA Women's Basketball Championship. The Majors will face No. 6 seed Southwestern at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday in Mount Berry, Ga. Live video and live stats will be provided at gommajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College women's basketball program follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook and visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
