Peyton Scott. (Miami University photo)
Peyton Scott. (Miami University photo)
Peyton Scott, a member of the Miami University women's basketball team, was named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Preseason Award Watch List. The award, which began in 2020, features 25 student-athletes, with just four coming from the Mid-American Conference.
 
Scott enters 2022-23 at ninth all-time in scoring at Miami with 1,441 career points and trails Lauren Dickerson, Miami's all-time leading scorer, by 767 points. The Lynchburg, Ohio native ranks 10th in field goals attempted (1,199), seventh in free throws made (294), fifth in free-throw percentage (.833), fifth in 20-point games (27) and ninth in double-doubles (11).
 
Last season, Scott averaged 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest, all tops on the team. The Second-Team All-MAC performer scored in double figures 27 times and had a season-high 32 points versus Eastern Michigan. She added 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists in a road victory at Xavier and added 25 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Evansville.
 
Scott, a three-time Mid-American Conference Scholar Athlete Award winner, maintains a 3.78 grade-point average and is majoring in sports leadership and management.

To be eligible for this award, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be "mid-major." The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award, and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC. In January, 15 players will be named to the midseason watch list. The 10 semifinalists will be announced in February, with five finalists being announced in early March. The winner will be announced in late March. The list is fluid and players may play their way on or off the list over the course of the season.

Hammon was a three-time All-American during her career at Colorado State and led the Rams to the Sweet 16 in 1999, the program's only appearance to date. She was signed by the New York Liberty in 1999 and traded to the San Antonio Stars in 2007, where she played the rest of her career. Hammon retired in 2014 as a six-time All-Star and a two-time All-WNBA First Team honoree. In 2016 she was named one of the top 20 players in WNBA history and was recently named to the W25.
 
Hammon became the second female coach in NBA history when she began coaching for the San Antonio Spurs in 2014. Additionally, Hammon is the only woman to be a head coach in the NBA Summer League as well as the only woman to be a member of an NBA All-Star coaching staff. Currently, Hammon is the head coach of the Las Vegas Aces and won the 2022 WNBA Championship in her first season.

• • •

The Miami University women's basketball team was picked to finish 11th in the 2022-23 preseason poll. The poll, which was voted on by the league's 12 head coaches, was released by the league office last week.
 
Toledo received 11 first-place votes and finished with 143 points. The Rockets were followed by Ball State (130), Bowling Green (109), Kent State (103), Northern Illinois (99), Western Michigan (91), Ohio (61), Akron (50), Eastern Michigan (46), Buffalo (40), Miami (35) and Central Michigan (29).
  
Preseason All-MAC awards were also announced, with Peyton Scott garnering first-team All-MAC honors.
 
2022-23 MAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll 
(First Place Votes)
1. Toledo (11) – 143  
2. Ball State (1) – 130  
3. Bowling Green – 109
4. Kent State – 103
5. Northern Illinois – 99
6. Western Michigan – 91
7. Ohio – 61
8. Akron – 50
9. Eastern Michigan – 46
10. Buffalo – 40
11. Miami – 35
12. Central Michigan – 29
 
2022-23 MAC Women's Basketball Preseason All-MAC Teams
First Team
Quinesha Lockett, G, Toledo, Sr.
A'Jah Davis, F, Northern Illinois, Sr.
Ally Becki, G, Ball State, So.
Peyton Scott, G, Miami, Sr.
Sophia Wiard, G, Toledo, Sr.
 
Second Team
Lauren Ross, G, Western Michigan, R-So.
Chelby Koker, G, Northern Illinois, Sr.
Lexi Fleming, G, Bowling Green, Jr.
Reagan Bass, F, Akron, So.
Kadie Hempfling, F, Bowling Green, Sr.