Tarleton State University TexAnn basketball player Kiara Wright was named the 2014 Daktronics NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Player of the Year after an impressive season that helped lead the TexAnns to the championship game of the Lone Star Conference tournament and the second round of the NCAA tournament.

“I can now say I’ve coached the best player in the nation,” Head Coach Ronnie Hearne said, “That statement sure has a good ring to it. What a tremendous honor for Kiara, our program, the athletics department and Tarleton State University.”

Wright, a senior from Pittsburg, came to Tarleton in 2011 and has been collecting awards and honors ever since. This year she was honored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association by being named an Honorable-Mention All-American. She was also named the South Central Regional Player of the Year for the second straight season, as well as LSC Player of the Year, LSC Defensive Player of the Year, first-team all-region and first-team all-conference.

Wright is Tarleton’s NCAA scoring and rebounding leader, and is also the first player in the Tarleton’s NCAA history to record over 1,000 career points as well as 1,000 career rebounds.

Wright had 380 total rebounds, 97 offensive and 283 defensive, for the season as well as 607 total points.