ATLANTA – To begin the 2023-24 season, EKU's Antwainette Walker has been named the Atlantic Sun Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year, announced by the league office ahead of the ASUN Basketball Tipoff show on Monday afternoon.
 
Additionally, the Lisle, Ill. native has also been tabbed to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team alongside teammate Alice Recanati. Monday's award marks the first time for EKU inside the ASUN Conference having two student-athletes selected to the preseason award.
 
Adding to EKU's preseason honors, the Colonels were picked to finish in third place in both the coaches' poll and media poll. The highest placement under head coach Greg Todd entering year three at the helm of the program.
 
Walker, just a week after being tabbed as frontrunner for the ASUN Player of the Year by ESPN's Charlie Creme, enters the season with well-deserved praise after finishing last season as a candidate for the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and 2023 Dawn Staley Award, recognizing the top guards in NCAA women's basketball.
 
Walker averaged 21.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game last season helping the Colonels to a 18-14 record. She led the ASUN in over 10 statistical categories and was top 25 nationally in seven categories. Walker had 15 double-double games last season and recorded a career-high 33 points against Austin Peay.
 
Recanati enters the season as Preseason All-ASUN for the second consecutive year. The Bergamo, Italy native has recorded 811 points and 393 assists during her three-year career in Richmond. She's just 97 assists away from setting the EKU program record in assists.
 
Fans can get a glimpse at Walker and Recanati on Monday's ASUN Basketball Tipoff Show beginning at 2:40 ET on ESPN+ at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tenn.
 
EKU will tip its 2023-24 regular season on Nov. 6 hosting Hanover College at Baptist Health Arena. Season tickets are available now on EKUsports.com starting at just $25 for general admission seating.