VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State women's basketball senior Kiersten Nelson and sophomore Erin Whalen were named to the All-Gulf South Conference Second Team, the league office announced Tuesday afternoon. 
 
Nelson and Whalen helped lead VSU to a 17-11 record during the regular season and a 12-10 mark in GSC play as the Lady Blazers play in the GSC Quarterfinals Tuesday evening at West Florida. 
 
This season, Nelson came to VSU after transferring from Samford.  The New Orleans, La., native, was a force to be reckoned with in the paint this season as she leads the team averaging 13.7 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding at 5.7 per contest.  Nelson has played in 27 games with 26 starts this season as she is a team-best 153 of 280 (.546) from the field, while making a team-high 63 free throws.  Nelson has 21 assists with 26 steals and 12 blocks and averaging 24.7 minutes per game. 
 
Nelson currently is tops in the GSC in field goal percentage (.546) for 26^th nationally, while she is second in the league in made field goals (153) and fourth in free throw attempts (105).  She is sixth in the league in scoring at 13.7 points per game and her 371 points also are good for sixth in the league. 
 
She is ninth in the conference in offensive rebounds per game at 2.1 per contest.  She has scored 20 games in double figures this season with two double-doubles, while she has four games of 20 or more points and a season-high 25 points against Union (1/9/25).  She registered a career-high 16 rebounds against Georgia Southwestern (11/21/24).  Nelson earned GSC Player of the Week honors once this season. 
 
Whalen, a native of Cumming, Ga., earned GSC Player of the Week honors on Tuesday also for her efforts last week.  This season, Whalen is second on the team in scoring at 10.6 points per game and leads the team averaging 8.8 rebounds per contest.  She has played in all 28 games with 26 starts and averaging 30.5 minutes per game.  She is 127 of 306 from the field (.415) and 27 of 90 from beyond the arc (.300), while making 17 free throws.  She has 59 offensive rebounds for the season, along with 187 defensive rebounds and 246 total rebounds.  Whalen has 54 assists for third on the team, while she leads the team with 55 steals and has six blocks. 

Nationally speaking, Whalen is tops in the GSC in double-doubles with nine for 48^th nationally, while she also leads the GSC in rebounds (246) and second in defensive rebounds per game (6.7) for 32^nd nationally.  Whalen is second in the league in total rebounds per game at 8.8 for 57^th nationally, while she leads the league in steals (55) and second in steals per game at a 1.96 clip. 
 
Alabama Huntsville's Lili Wilken earned GSC Player of the Year honors, while Montevallo's Aubrey Sorrells was named Freshman of the Year and Union head coach Mark Campbell was named Coach of the Year.  Wilken, Auburn Montgomery's Allasha Dudley, along with Mallory Hampton and Haylee Johnson of Lee and Olivia Lee of Union rounded out the first team selections.  West Florida had four selections to the second team, while Union had two second team honorees, along with the two from VSU and one from Mississippi College.