Panther women’s hoops will have a new group of leaders next year.
After a 17-10 season and a conference tournament title for Franklin, Mountain Seven coaches met for their annual postseason meeting, naming three Panthers to the All-Conference team and another as Honorable Mention. While two of these four players graduated this spring, the list includes two more underclassmen waiting in the wings.
Bristol Brooks
Culminating in a Conference Tournament MVP, Bristol Brooks turned in one of Franklin’s greatest-ever freshman seasons.
On offense Brooks was an unstoppable force, regularly charging into the lane with reckless abandon. Despite often-heavy contact she usually found the rim, finishing second conference-wide in points (353) and points per game (13.1). When her path to the hoop was blocked she also excelled at finding teammates, leading the conference in assists per game (4.3).
On defense she harassed rival guards in the backcourt, finishing first on the team and sixth conference-wide with 60 steals. She also finished second on the team with 129 rebounds, adding three blocks, 51 deflections and a team-leading two double-doubles.
“Bristol stepped into that point guard role as a freshman, and she had a tremendous year,” said longtime head coach Scott Hartbarger of the position normally reserved for more veteran players. “Such a competitor [with] the will to win, and I think that kind of at times spilled over into our team. Stepping into that role as a freshman is not an easy thing to do, but she handled it well and did a tremendous job.”
Aubrey Haley
A senior small forward/wing earning her second All-Conference selection, Aubrey Haley was Franklin’s best player in the frontcourt this year.
Regularly playing through heavy contact near the rim, Haley helped Franklin win the battle of possession on the boards, leading the team with 154 rebounds. She also excelled preventing rivals from shooting altogether, finishing second team-wide in blocks (5), third in deflections (36) and fourth in steals (31).
On offense she also earned hard-fought baskets in the paint, finishing fourth team-wide in points (182) and fifth in assists (31). With 14 points and 12 rebounds versus Andrews Nov. 30, she would finish as just one of two Panthers to record a double-double.
“Aubrey did all the little things – things you don’t necessarily see in the stats a lot,” said Hartbarger. “Played great defense, rebounded the ball well – she was just steady and consistent for us all year long.”
Layla Maloy
A sophomore shooting guard earning All-Conference Honorable Mention, Maloy joined Brooks among Franklin’s underclassmen rising stars.
One of the Mountain Seven’s best shooters from behind the arc, Maloy finished second conference-wide in 3-point percentage this year (37%), and first among players with more than 25 attempts. With 25 3-pointers made, she finished third on the team in points (190), and also ranked third among Panthers in assists (43).
On defense she was a thorn in the side of rival offenses, finishing first on the team in deflections (52), second in steals (42) and third in blocks (4). On the boards she looked at times more like a forward than a guard, finishing fourth team-wide with 99 rebounds.
“Yes, I think that’s great,” said Hartbarger of Maloy gaining notice from his fellow Mountain Seven coaches. “I think she learned the pace of the game, and I think there are great things from her to come. She’s just going to get better and better.”
McKenna Plemmons
A veteran shooting guard earning her first All-Conference nod, McKenna Plemmons turned in an incredible senior year.
Franklin’s go-to shooter from behind the arc, Plemmons finished second conference-wide with 61 3-pointers, and also led the team in free throw percentage (79%). With eight 3-pointers at West Henderson Feb. 7, she broke a Panther single-game record en route to a key conference win. Overall she finished second team-wide with 266 points.
On the other end she was one of the Mountain Seven’s most dogged defenders, taking a conference-leading nine charges and regularly diving after loose balls. She also finished third on the team in steals (34) and fourth in deflections (28).
“So proud of her – she had a great senior year,” said Hartbarger of the Montreat College commit. “She was a spark for us. She’d come down, hit a couple threes in a row and get the crowd going – get us going – and I think she just had the best senior year she could have had.”