FAYETTEVILLE — Neither Chelsea Dungee nor Destiny Slocum started their college basketball careers at the University of Arkansas, but they finished with a flourish as Razorbacks.
Dungee earned first-team All-SEC honors and Slocum was named to the second team, the league office announced Tuesday.
It’s the initial first-team selection for Dungee and third All-SEC honor in her career. Slocum, a graduate transfer from Oregon State, claimed postseason all-conference honors in the third different league in her career.
Dungee, a 5-11 guard from Sapulpa, Okla., transferred from Oklahoma after her freshman season and has been a key to the Razorbacks’ rise over the past three seasons. She was second-team All-SEC the past two seasons, but saved her best for last.
Dungee averaged a career-best 22.2 points per game to lead the league and shot a career-best 43% from the floor and 39% from three-point range. She came up big at key moments, too, dropping 37 in the Razorbacks’ win over Connecticut and 38 two weeks ago against Ole Miss when Slocum wasn’t available because of illness.
Dungee has scored 2,098 points in her career, but it’s not a school record since she didn’t score all of them at Arkansas.
That’s of no consequence to Arkansas Coach Mike Neighbors, who said Dungee has become an icon for the program with kids wearing her jersey all over Northwest Arkansas.
“She’s grown from someone who has a boulder on her shoulder to it just being a little bit of a chip,” he said. “She’s still got it. She’ll carry it like she always does with her. She’s become a great teammate. She’s become an ambassador out in the community.” Dungee is excited for the Arkansas program that hasn’t been to an NCAA Tournament since the 2014-15 season. The Razorbacks were in line for an NCAA Tournament bid last year before the season was halted by the pandemic. They were announced as a possible top 16 seed on Sunday for this year’s tournament.
“I’m just happy really, first and foremost, what this program has became over the last four years and me being a part of that,” Dungee said. “Me as a basketball player, I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder I feel like since I’ve been here.
“Just the evolution of my game, I’m shooting it way better statistic-wise. Getting to the basket, free throws. I think everything has gotten just a little bit better each year.”
Slocum averaged 15.6 points and a team-best four assists this season. She also earned All-Pac 12 honors at Oregon State and was named All-Big Ten as a freshman at Maryland.
The 5-7 guard finished with 22 points and 10 assists against Missouri to become the first Razorback to go for 20 points and 10 assists in a game since Kimberly Wilson did it in 1996. She was also one off her career high, scoring 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting against LSU.
Neighbors recruited Slocum when she was coming out of high school and visited with her again when she transferred from Maryland. Their relationship has endured over the years.
“I tell young coaches if a recruit tells you ‘no’ initially, man, don’t be a jerk about it,” Neighbors said. “Just understand the kid had to make a tough decision and they just didn’t choose you. Because she told me ‘no’ three times. And each time I tried to be more and more supportive and it came around.
“That last time when she was looking for a place to finish her career, it was here.”
All-SEC women’s basketball team
FIRST TEAM
Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas
Jasmine Walker, Alabama Rhyne Howard, Kentucky Khayla Pointer, LSU Shakira Austin, Ole Miss Aliyah Boston, South Carolina Zia Cooke, South Carolina Rennia Davis, Tennessee N’dea Jones, Texas A&M.
SECOND TEAM
Destiny Slocum, Arkansas
Jordan Lewis, Alabama Unique Thompson, Auburn Lavender Briggs, Florida Jenna Staiti, Georgia Aijha Blackwell, Missouri Rae Burrell, Tennessee Aaliyah Wilson, Texas A&M
ALL-FRESHMAN
Romi Levy, Auburn Jordyn Merritt, Florida Sarah Ashlee Barker, Georgia Snudda Collins, Ole Miss Madison Scott, Ole Miss Madison Hayes, Mississippi State Mama Dembele, Missouri Marta Suárez, Tennessee
ALL-DEFENSIVE
Que Morrison, Georgia Khayla Pointer, LSU Chasity Patterson, Kentucky Aliyah Boston, South Carolina Tamari Key, Tennessee
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Rhyne Howard, Kentucky
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Que Morrison, Georgia Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
SIXTH WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Destiny Pitts, Texas A&M
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Ciera Johnson, Texas A&M
COACH OF THE YEAR
Joni Taylor, Georgia