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CHIPOLA ATHLETICS

Lady Indians' Kanija Daniel named NJCAA D1 Women's Basketball Player of the Year

Daniel joins NJCAA Hall of Famer Evelyn Akhator as the only two Lady Indians to win the award

Lady Indians' Kanija Daniel named NJCAA D1 Women's Basketball Player of the Year
April 12, 2025

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sophomore guard Kanija Daniel can add another award to those she has already received. On Friday, the Carrollton, Georgia native was named the 2024-2025 NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Player of the Year.

Earlier this week, Daniel became the 12th Chipola basketball player, and just the fifth women's player, to be named NJCAA First Team All-American.

Daniel's other post-season accolades include:

  • FCSAA/Region VIII Tournament Most Outstanding Player
  • FCSAA Player of the Year
  • All-FCSAA D1 First Team
  • Panhandle Conference Player of the Year
  • All-Panhandle Conference First Team

Daniel finished the season 11th in scoring with 19.6 points per game. She also collected 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per outing. She shot 40.4% from the floor, including 34.2% from three-point range.

The FCSAA named her their Player of the Week three times during the season. For the week of January 22-28, she was named the NJCAA Player of the Week after leading Chipola to a 67-57 win over #1 Northwest Florida State with 25 points.

Daniel helped the Lady Indians to a 31-4 overall that led to being named the number one seed in the 2024-2025 NJCAA D1 Women's Basketball Tournament in Casper, Wyoming. Three of Chipola's four losses were to the two teams that played in the NJCAA Championship Game. Chipola was 2-2 this season against the eventual National Champion, Northwest Florida, and 1-1 against the National Runner-Up, Shelton State.

Notes:

  • Kanija Daniel is the second Chipola women's basketball player to be named the NJCAA Player of the Year. Ten years ago, Evelyn Achator led the Lady Indians to the NJCAA Championship and won the Player of the Year following the season.
  • Daniel is the second consecutive Player of the Year that Chipola women's basketball head coach Mitch Rolls has coached. In 2023-2024 at Iowa Western Community College, Rolls coached McKenna Minter, who was named the NJCAA D2 National Player of the Year.
  • With the addition of Daniel, Chipola has five NJCAA Women's Basketball First Team All-Americans: Kanija Daniel (2024-2025); De'Myla Brown (2020-2021); Evelyn Akhator (2014-2015); Bianca Jarre (2009-2010); and Latoya Williams (2008-2009).