University of Georgia Athletics
Coach ABE Named Georgia Women’s College Coach of the Year
March 24, 2023 | Women's Basketball
ATHENS, Ga. – Katie Abrahamson-Henderson, who led the Georgia women's basketball team to its most wins in five seasons and the second round of the NCAA tournament, has been named the 2023 Atlanta Tipoff Club Whack Hyder Georgia Women's College Coach of the Year, it was announced Friday.
Each year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club honors the best in the state of Georgia with Women's and Men's College Coach of the Year and Women's and Men's College Player of the Year awards.
In her first season as Georgia's head coach, Coach ABE guided the Lady Bulldogs to a 22-12 record and a tie for fifth place in the Southeastern Conference standings after being picked ninth in the preseason. The 22 victories were the most for Georgia since 2017-18 and marked the 11th-straight 20-win campaign of Coach ABE's career.
Georgia defeated Florida State in the first round of the NCAA tournament, earning the program's first win over a Power-5 team in the tournament since 2013.
Coach ABE and the 2022-23 Georgia Lady Bulldogs
• Coach ABE's career record is now 394-169 (.701) in 18 seasons — an average of 22 wins per year
• Her teams have earned bids to 12 NCAA tournaments — the third-most appearances among active SEC head coaches (only behind South Carolina's Dawn Staley and LSU's Kim Mulkey).
• She has compiled 13 20-win seasons, including 11-straight as head coach (does not include shortened COVID campaign).
• This year's Georgia squad won seven of its last nine regular season games, with the only losses coming to top-5 teams South Carolina and LSU — both on the road.
• Georgia went a perfect 5-0 against rivals Georgia Tech, Florida and Auburn.
• Georgia led the SEC in steals with 356 — the team's highest total since the 2012-13 campaign.
• The Lady Bulldogs paced the conference in turnovers forced with 20 per contest.
• Diamond Battles was the 12th player in Georgia history to earn a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team and the 31st Lady Bulldog to land on the All-SEC Second Team.
• Javyn Nicholson more than doubled her points per game (from 4.5 to 9.5) from her previous three seasons at Georgia. Her rebounds increased by three from 4.0 to 7.0.
• Zoesha Smith set new career highs in scoring in four of her first five games this year.
• Alisha Lewis led the SEC in assists with 123.
• Malury Bates played in more career games than any player in Georgia history with 146.
• Brittney Smith finished second on the team in scoring and rebounding with 22 double-figure scoring games.
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