Four Redbirds Earn All-MVC Honors

ST LOUIS – The Missouri Valley Conference announced Wednesday that Illinois State's Shannon Dowell earned All-MVC Second team honors, Elyce Knudsen and Addison Martin landed on the MVC Newcomer team, while Doneelah Washington earned MVC Freshman team honors.  

Dowell earned All-MVC Second Team honors after ranking fifth in the league with 16.9 points per game against Valley foes. She also averaged 6.4 rebounds per game (11th in MVC) with 2.6 assists per game with a mark of 48.7% from the floor (12th in MVC) in Valley play. Dowell posted 16 games in double figures and seven games of 20+ points, including a career-high tying 28 points at Murray State Dec. 29 to open Valley play.  

Knudsen averaged 14.0 points per game on 45.5% shooting from the floor and 43.4% shooting from deep (4th in MVC) in Valley play. She was the only MVC newcomer to average at least 14 points per game on better than 45% shooting from the floor and 40% shooting from deep against Valley foes. Knudsen posted 15 outings in double-figures and five performances of 20+ points, which included a season-high 28 points to close the regular season against Southern Illinois March 8. Knudsen ranked second in the MVC with 53 three pointers made in MVC play, which led all Valley newcomers.  

Knudsen earned a league-best five MVC Newcomer of the Week awards, including the final two honors of the regular season March 3 and March 10.  

Martin led the MVC with a mark of 58.7% shooting from the floor in MVC play. She finished at least 50% from the field in a league-best 16 Valley games, including the first 11 games in conference play. Martin reached double-figures in 13 league games, averaging 12.3 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game against Valley foes. She scored a season-high 23 points in a win over Southern Illinois Jan. 31, one of her two performances of 20+ points in MVC play.  

Martin earned three MVC Newcomer of the Week honors this season, which included a pair awards in MVC play Feb. 13 and Jan. 13.  

Washington is the third Redbird to earn MVC Freshman Team honors under head coach Kristen Gillespie, joining her teammate Dowell (2023-24) and former Redbird Paige Saylor (2017-18). She led all MVC freshmen with 25 blocks in Valley play, a mark that ranked fifth among all MVC players. Washington, who was a three-time MVC Freshman of the Week honoree this season, posted the first double-double by a freshman in Valley play year with 15 points and 10 rebounds against Indiana State Jan. 2.  

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.