INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - App State senior
Samantha LaFon has been appointed as the Sun Belt representative on the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Student-Athlete Engagement Group. Her term will last until June 30, 2025.
"I am extremely honored to be a part of the NCAA DI WBB Student-Athlete Engagement Group," said LaFon. "I have a passion for enhancing the experiences that women have when they play at the Division I level. Being able to work alongside other like-minded individuals to grow the game and fight for what women's basketball deserves is an awesome opportunity that I am very grateful for. I am proud to represent App State and the Sun Belt Conference in this role."
LaFon joined the Mountaineers for the 2023-24 season after spending two years at Marshall. The Chesapeake, Ohio native represented App State at the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meetings the last two summers and is a member of App State's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
"Being in a leadership role in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee here on campus and in the Sun Belt Conference has helped me grow tremendously on and off the court," said LaFon. "It is very rewarding to see the things we work on within SAAC come to life and directly affect me as a student-athlete. It keeps me motivated to pour into my development as a player so that I can see those same progressions on the court."
She appeared in 18 games off the bench last season. On the court, she shot 69.2% from the field and grabbed 30 rebounds. LaFon was the Mountaineers' top rebounder against Marquette (Dec. 17) and South Alabama (Jan. 6), grabbing seven rebounds on both occasions, which matched her career high.
"Sam is everything you would want in a student-athlete," said head women's basketball coach Alaura Sharp. "She is driven, passionate and a fantastic leader. There is no one better to serve and represent the student-athletes of the Sun Belt Conference."
The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Student-Athlete Engagement Group is composed of current women's basketball student-athletes representing all 32 conferences. The representatives were nominated through the WBCA NCAA Division I Conference Captains program that includes a head coach or captain in each conference with whom the WBCA communicates with regularly on important issues. The goal of the committee is to amplify the voices of the women's basketball programs for various issues as well as key initiatives and legislation.
App State's CJ Huntley served on the men's version of the same NCAA committee last year.
LaFon and the Mountaineers will open the 2024-25 season on the road at Miami (OH) for the first installation of this season's MAC-SBC Challenge on Nov. 4.
