Fanta Kone earns CUSA All-Academic honors
3/5/2026 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DALLAS – Sam Houston senior Fanta Kone has been recognized by Conference USA for her excellence in the classroom, earning a spot on the CUSA All-Academic Team.
The lead point guard from Bamako, Mali was named to the All-Academic squad after posting a 3.94 GPA while pursuing her degree in Finance.
Kone has been just as impressive on the court. She leads the Bearkats in scoring at 12.7 points per game and recently earned the program's first Player of the Week honor this season. She secured the award after recording a historic double-double against Arkansas Pine Bluff with 18 points and 12 steals, setting a new Sam Houston and Conference USA single-game record. Her 12 steals mark the second-highest single-game total in the nation this season, trailing only Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, who posted 16 in a win over Akron.
Kone also poured in a career-high 22 points against Dallas, shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. The Bearkats' 72-point margin of victory in that contest ranked as the third largest in program history, surpassing a 70-point win over UT Pan American in 1987.
In just two seasons in Huntsville, Kone has already climbed into the top 10 in career steals with 183, passing Amber Leggett (177, 2018-21), Ray Alexander (173, 2005-10), and Khamara Echols (170, 2008-12).
She currently has 126 steals and 92 assists this season, becoming the first Bearkat since Britni Martin (2011-13) to record consecutive seasons with 100+ assists. She is also the first since LaKeita Richardson (1993-95) to post 90+ steals in consecutive seasons.
Kone has recorded two double-doubles this year and 17 double-figure scoring performances, including two 20-point outings. Nationally, she ranks 44th in minutes per game at 34.8 and sits seventh in the country in steals, averaging 3.5 per contest.
Kone continues to lead the Bearkats on both ends of the floor, pairing elite defensive production with academic excellence.
