BOISE, Idaho - The Big Sky Conference released the winners of the Individual Conference Awards from the 2019-20 season and Southern Utah senior Rebecca Cardenas was named the Big Sky Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year.
Cardenas is just the second Thunderbird to win an Individual Award since Southern Utah joined the conference in 2012. Darri Frandsen is the other, winning the title of Top Reserve in 2016-17.
Cardenas leads the conference in steals, averaging 3.0 steals per game overall and 3.2 during conference play. She has 87 total steals, 14 more than anyone else in the Big Sky and second most by a Thunderbird in a single season. The senior is ranked 14th in the entire NCAA in steals per game and 13th in total steals. The 5' 5" guard is also ranked 23rd in the Big Sky in blocks with 12 blocks on the season.
Offensively, Cardenas leads the conference in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game and scoring 510 total points. She was the only Big Sky player to break the 500 point mark during the season. She has the seventh-highest field goal percentage in the conference (.418) and the ninth-highest free throw percentage (.789).
Cardenas is also ranked third in the conference in assists, averaging 4.8 per game, and 10th in assist/turnover ratio, averaging 1.4 more assists than turnovers. She has the seventh-highest field goal percentage in the conference (.418) and the ninth-highest free throw percentage (.789).
Cardenas and the sixth-seeded Thunderbirds will open play in the Big Sky Conference Championship Tournament later today against the 11th-seeded Weber State Wildcats.
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