Reviewed by: Michael Seale
SWAC Coach + Player of the Year awarded to the Lady Bulldogs
Reading time: 2 minutes
Alabama A&M women’s basketball has won big after both its head coach and one of its star players earned top honors from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
The SWAC conference announced that head coach Dawn Thornton has been named 2026 SWAC Coach of the Year, and guard Kaila Walker earned 2026 SWAC Player of the Year.
Here’s what to know. 👇
Big honors for the Bulldogs
Coach Thornton has led the Lady Bulldogs to a historic season, guiding the program to several milestones at the NCAA Divison 1 level.
This year this Bulldogs achieved:
- 🏀 16-game winning streak
- 🏆 A SWAC regular season championship
- 🥇 The No.1 seed in the upcoming SWAC Women’s Basketball tournament
Under Thornton’s leadership, AAMU has continued building momentum as one of the conference’s top programs.
Walker earns national + conference recognition
Lady Bulldogs guard Kailia Walker, a graduate student from Arkansas, had a standout season that earned recognition both nationally and within the conference.
Walker was awarded:
- 🏆 2026 HBCU GO Women’s Basketball National Player of the Year
- 🏆 2026 SWAC Player of the Year
She led the conference in the free-throw percentage, ranking 38th nationally and second in total free-throws made.
Her season high 24 points against Florida A&M was one of her many 20 double-digit scoring performances this season.
Bulldogs with post-season momentum
With both the SWAC Coach of the Year and SWAC Player of the Year coming from Alabama A&M, the Bulldogs are heading into postseason play with strong momentum.
Now, the Bulldogs will look to continue their historic run as they enter the SWAC Women’s Basketball Tournament as the conference’s top seed.
📺 Tune in to SWAC TV to watch the tournament live!
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