Mercer’s Ashlee Locke Wins First SOCON Player of the Week of the 2024 Season

Mercer Senior Forward Ashlee Locke wins Southern Conference Player of the Week

MACON, Georgia – (41NBC/WMGT) – The Mercer Women’s Basketball team had a big game at Hawkins Arena Tuesday night against new head coach Michelle Clark-Heard’s alma mater, Western Kentucky University. The Lady Bears would lose the game 78-54, but before the game, one of those Bears found out she was already recognized for her hard work in just the first week of the season.

Mercer Senior Forward Ashlee Locke was named the first Southern Conference Player of the Week for the 2024 season after she posted two double-doubles in both the win over UNC Asheville, where she put up 14 points, 10 boards and 4 assists. As well as in the loss to Florida Atlantic University, where the Flowery Branch native gave it her all on the road. Locke scored 23 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

After keeping just three ladies from last season’s team, Locke spoke at the Mercer press conference on Monday about the Bear’s status so early into the season with 15 new players on the team, and how she is grateful to call them her teammates.

“It’s definitely been a different season starting for me” said Locke. “I’ve stressed this multiple times to Coach Heard, and especially the girls on the team, that I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’ve done without all of them. As a post player, you can’t score unless you get the ball from your guards, and I’m just so thankful for them that they do trust me to give me the ball, and be able to do what I do down low, and everything like that. Hopefully we will continue to move in that direction throughout the whole entire season.”

Mercer hosts North Carolina A&T Sunday at 2 p.m. at Hawkins Arena.