Tarrah Stephens of the John Brown University women's basketball team was named to the 2022-23 NAIA All-America second team, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national office announced Monday (March 20), marking the fourth player in program history to earn the distinction.
Stephens joins Kendra McCormick '06, Sierra Shipley '14 and Baily Cameron '19 as the only Golden Eagles to earn a spot on the NAIA's top three All-America teams. McCormick and Cameron both earned second-team accolades, while Cameron is the only female hooper to make the second team twice.
"What a fantastic year Tarrah had," head coach Jeff Soderquist noted. "She certainly earned this honor. I am so proud of her and how she keeps getting better each year."
Stephens led the Golden Eagles by averaging 19.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. The Wyandotte, Okla., native scored from everywhere on the court, shooting 52 percent from the field overall and an even more impressive 54 percent inside the arc. Alongside scoring at nearly 40 percent from behind the arc and converting nearly three of every four free throws attempted, Stephens set career highs this season with 31 games played, 226 field goals, 134 free throws, 238 rebounds, 64 assists and 54 steals.
During the 2022-23 season, she scraped together 13 20-point games and boasted six double-doubles, one season after setting the program's single-game scoring record when she dropped 45 points at Oklahoma Panhandle State.
The three-time All-Sooner Athletic selection, including Freshman of the Year in 2020, was also named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Assocation's honorable mention list last week, which included the senior in the nation's top 30 players that spans all 236 NAIA women's basketball teams.
The program's 19th 1,000-point scorer led the Golden Eagles to its sixth appearance all-time in the NAIA National Championships after a 20-8 regular season finish. John Brown posted the 2023 NAIA National Women's Basketball Championships largest upset of the First Round as JBU knocked off No. 4 Loyola (La.) before exiting the tournament in the Second Round after a battle with No. 5 Cumberlands (Ky.).