Skip to main content
Mississippi State

Jessika Carter earns second SEC Player of the Week honor in 2023-24

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk01/16/24RobbieFaulkOn3
Jessika Carter
Photo By: Mississippi State Athletics

If the first two weeks of SEC play proved anything for Mississippi State, it’s that the Bulldogs will go as their All-SEC center goes.

After scoring just 7.0 points on 6-of-18 shooting in the first two games against Vanderbilt and South Carolina, Carter took those two losses personally. Scoring over 20 points a game and ripping down 12.0 rebounds against Arkansas and Ole Miss, Carter earned her second SEC Player of the Week honor this season, the league announced on Tuesday.

It was Carter’s second SEC Player of the Week honor this year but State has now had five such honors. Lauren Park-Lane and Darrione Rogers have also earned PotW and Quanirah Montague has an SEC Freshman of the Week award.

“Best post player in the country,” coach Sam Purcell said. “I’ll say it with my chest. It was only a matter of time until she believes it. I love that kid for multiple reasons: she’s in the best shape of her life, she’s a dog, she works but most importantly, I love that kid because she has my back.

“Every time we’re in a tough situation, she speaks. She repeats. When adversity hits, her character comes out through the roof. You can’t put a price tag on that. That’s what a fifth-year is supposed to do and she’s doing all of that and then some.”

Dominant week leads to two Bulldog wins

Carter averaged 22.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in the two big victories to help State get to .500 in league play. She made 21-30 shots from the field during the two-game stretch. Carter was joined by Auburn guard Honesty Scott-Grayson as Co-Player of the Week after Scott-Grayson helped lead the Tigers and former MSU assistant Johnnie Harris to an upset win over No. 7 LSU.

Last week was, perhaps, the best two-game stretch for Carter and her long six-year career in Starkville. She scored 20-plus points in consecutive games for the first time this season beginning with State’s 66-63 road win at Arkansas.

Against the Razorbacks, Carter had 22 points with a SEC career-high 19 rebounds and she blocked two shots. In the fourth quarter, Carter took over the ball game when the Bulldogs were struggling to put the game away. She scored five big points, pulled down six rebounds and blocked a shot on a driving layup in the final 10 seconds.

The Georgia native followed that up with an even bigger performance scoring 23 points against the rival Rebels on 11-of-15 shooting in 37 minutes. She had five rebounds and two more blocked shots.

Carter is currently fourth in the SEC with 33 blocked shots this season. She’s averaging a career-high 15.5 points and pulling down a career-best 9.5 rebounds as well. Carter just moved passed LaCharlotte Smith for the seventh most points in Bulldog history at 1,536 and next on the list is Jennifer Fambrough’s 1,677. Her 966 rebounds are fourth in school history and she’s third with 217 blocked shots.

The senior center and her teammates will be back in action on Thursday night at Humphrey Coliseum as they take on the Tennessee Lady Volunteers at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcasted on SEC Network.

You may also like