Ryan Franklin, Alanis Diaz and Giorgia Palmieri Garner All-SSC Honors

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Sunshine State Conference recognizes nineteen women's basketball student-athletes as All-SSC in 2025-26, including three from the University of Tampa. Ryan Franklin was honored on the first team, while Alanis Diaz and Giorgia Palmieri were named second and third team, respectively.

Florida Southern's Sydney Gomes earned Player of the Year, Nova Southeastern Taydra Simpson was named Defensive Player of the Year, Embry-Riddle's Eliana Sheplee takes Freshman of the Year honors, and Eckerd head coach Paul Honsinger was awarded Coach of the Year.

Ryan Franklin led Tampa as one of the most dominant post presences in the Sunshine State Conference, averaging 15.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while starting all 30 contests. She shot an impressive 56.1 percent from the field, scoring 476 total points and pulling down 228 rebounds on the season. Franklin also contributed defensively with 15 blocks and consistently controlled the glass with 165 defensive rebounds. Throughout the season she produced multiple double-doubles, highlighted by strong rebounding performances that included several games with double-digit boards. Her ability to score efficiently in the paint and anchor Tampa's interior presence made her the team's leading scorer and one of its most reliable performers.

Alanis Diaz delivered a strong all-around season for the Spartans, averaging 10.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while starting all 30 games. Diaz shot 53.4 percent from the floor, totaling 313 points and 181 rebounds, while also contributing significantly as a playmaker with 80 assists. Her versatility allowed her to impact the game in multiple ways, including scoring inside, rebounding, and facilitating offense. Diaz also recorded multiple double-doubles during the year, including standout performances with double-digit points and rebounds that helped Tampa secure key victories throughout the season.

Giorgia Palmieri played a major role in Tampa's backcourt production, averaging 9.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game across 30 starts while logging a team-high 33.7 minutes per contest. Palmieri added strong playmaking numbers with 146 assists (4.9 per game), ranking among the team leaders while maintaining an efficient 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio. She finished the season with 296 points, 155 rebounds, and 38 steals, showcasing her ability to contribute across the stat sheet. Palmieri's combination of scoring, rebounding, and playmaking made her one of Tampa's most complete players and a key facilitator in the Spartans' offensive attack.

SSC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year awards are sponsored by Athletic Solutions.

Gomes, a 5-8 guard from Florida Southern College, was named Player of the Year in SSC by the league's head coaches. The Ponte Vedra, Florida product averaging 18.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 35.8 minutes per game. She was second in the league in points, rebounds, and assists per game. Gomes shot 45 percent from the field, including 34 percent from 3-point range. She is the ninth student-athlete from Florida Southern to earn SSC Player of the Year. She helped lead the Mocs to a 22-6 overall record with a 15-5 mark in conference.

All-SSC History: SSC Players and Coaches of the Year | All-SSC Teams

Taydra Simpson, a 5-8 guard from Nova Southeastern, is awarded SSC Defensive Player of the Year. She averaged 3.1 blocks per game and 1.2 steals per game, finishing third in the conference in each metric. She played in 27 games for the Sharks, including nine starts. She recorded a pair of 10-steal games in conference play. Simpson is the fourth Shark to earn SSC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Eliana Sheplee, a 5-10 guard from Embry-Riddle, becomes the third Eagles women's basketball player to earn SSC Freshman of the Year. The Rice Lake, Wisconsin native led the SSC in scoring, pouring in 21.5 points per game. She shot over 50 percent from the field while grabbing 7.1 rebounds per game. She tallied a season-high 35 points in a nonconference matchup against Flagler on Nov. 19.

Paul Honsinger from Eckerd earns SSC Coach of the Year for the third time in his career.  He led the Tritons to a regular season championship with a 22-5 overall record and a 17-3 mark in league play. This is the second SSC regular season title of his career. The Tritons led the league in points allowed, giving up just 55.8 points per game. Opponents shot just 36 percent against Eckerd, and the Tritons punctuated stops with a league-leading 28.8 defensive rebounds per game.

All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by a vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.

Player of the Year: Sydney Gomes, Florida Southern

Defensive Player of the Year: Taydra Simpson, Nova Southeastern

Freshman of the Year: Eliana Sheplee, Embry-Riddle

Coach of the Year: Paul Honsinger, Eckerd

* = 2024-25 All-SSC Second Team

^ = 2024-25 All-SSC Third Team

~ = 2024-25 All-SSC Defensive Team