NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Teneisia Brown, FDU
Forward/Center, Graduate Student, 6-2, Montego Bay, Jamaica/Mount Vernon (Merrimack)
Brown picked up right where she left off from the 2023-24 season. Netting 12.7 points per game, the forward/center averaged a team-leading 7.7 rebounds per contest to lead FDU to an opening-week sweep of Dominican, American and Mount St. Mary’s. With the three wins, the Knights are off to their best start to a season in seven years. Most impressively, Brown turned in a 68.0 percent clip from the field after she combined to shoot 17-of-25. The Jamaican-born graduate student got her final season in Hackensack off to a strong start, recording a 22-point, nine-rebound performance in a 79-57 win over Dominican on Tuesday. On Friday, she stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes against American in a win that avenged last season’s defeat to the Eagles and was the 700th career victory for FDU head coach Stephanie Gaitley. In the Knights’ final game of the week, Brown pulled down seven rebounds and converted on a late layup to seal a 63-59 win at Mount St. Mary’s on Sunday. 

NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Ava Renninger, FDU
Guard, Freshman, 5-6, Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood
Renninger wasted little time to burst onto the NEC women’s basketball scene. The first-year FDU guard was sensational for her team during opening week, as her offensive contributions helped the Knights jump out to a 3-0 start for the first time in seven seasons. In wins over Dominican, American and Mount St. Mary’s, Renninger averaged 16.0 points and 4.0 boards per contest off the bench. That scoring average, which leads all NEC rookies, is good for second in the circuit. From long range, Renninger was lethal, going 7-of-14 for a 50.0 percent clip. In her first-ever collegiate game, the Yardley, PA native made a splash by knocking down each of her first three attempts from behind the arc to finish with 20 points against Dominican on Tuesday. Three days later, Renninger was clutch, as she led FDU with 17 points at American. Knocking down the go-ahead triple in the final quarter, she iced the 62-59 triumph with two free throws in the final moments to help head coach Stephanie Gaitley secure her 700th career win. Renninger made it three-straight double-figure scoring games in Sunday’s 63-59 win at Mount St. Mary’s after she netted 11 points.


NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Asha Walker, CSU (G, So.)
Walker strung together three solid outings against stiff competition in Iowa State, Butler and Cleveland State. Netting a season-high 18 points behind four three-pointers in the Cougars’ season opener against the Cyclones, the sophomore guard averaged 14.3 points, 2.3 steals and 2.3 boards during that three-game stretch.

Meghan Kenefick, CCSU (F, Gr.)
Kenefick, a Preseason All-NEC pick, got her 2024-25 campaign off to a strong start, averaging 13.3 points on 46.7 percent shooting while adding 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Registering her first career double-double with 15 points and 10 boards in a defeat to Manhattan on Thursday, the graduate forward followed that performance by dropping a career-high 17 points on UMass on Sunday.

Alonna Sellers, CCSU (F, Jr.) 
In three outings against Minnesota, Manhattan and UMass, Sellers averaged 10.0 points and a team-leading 8.3 rebounds for Central Connecticut. The junior forward notched her first double-double of the season against the Minutewomen on Sunday after registering season-best numbers in points (12) and rebounds (12).

Teneisia Brown, FDU (F/C, Gr.)
Brown, a Preseason All-NEC selection, put up impressive numbers in scoring and rebounding to lead FDU to its first 3-0 start in seven years. The graduate forward/center, who shot a sizzling 68.0 percent from the field (17-of-25), averaged 12.7 points and a team-high 7.7 boads per game in triumphs over Dominican, American and Mount St. Mary’s. Brown also took home NEC Player of the Week distinction.

Ava Renninger, FDU (G, Fr.)
In her collegiate debut, Renninger led all NEC rookies and ranked second among all conference players by averaging 16.0 points per game. The guard shot 50.0 percent from long range (7-of-14) and netted 20, 17 and 11 points in FDU’s perfect week that featured wins over Dominican, American and Mount St. Mary’s. Renninger was also named the NEC Rookie of the Week. 

Haedyn Roberts, LEM (F, Gr.)
A double-double that consisted of 15 points and 12 rebounds against perennial power Stanford landed Roberts on the first Prime Performer list of the 2024-25 campaign. Adding 11 points and eight boards later in the week against Stony Brook, the graduate student averaged 11.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.0 block per game for the Dolphins.

Janessa Williams, LIU (G, So.)
Williams shot 40.0 percent from the field (12-of-30) and was perfect from the free-throw line (7-for-7) to lead LIU to a 1-2 start to the 2024-25 season. Netting a team-high 17 points on Friday against St. John’s before contributing nine points to the Sharks’ first win of the season — a 63-52 decision over Cal State Fullerton — the sophomore guard averaged 11.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game during that stretch.

Bailey Kuhns, MU (F, Jr.)
Kuhns, a junior forward, was impressive in her Division I debut, averaging 16.5 points and 3.0 boards per contest. On opening day, she dropped 20 points, three assists and two steals against Notre Dame, a 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight squad, before she added 13 points two days later at Big East foe DePaul.

Brooke Paquette, STO (G, So.)
Paquette picked up right where she left off as a rookie, putting up double figures in scoring twice while combining for 14 assists, seven steals and a pair of blocks in Stonehill’s first two games of the year. Opening the season by matching a career-high in scoring (15 points) while adding six dimes and three thefts against 2024 Atlantic-10 runner-up Rhode Island on Tuesday, the sophomore guard tallied 14 points, four steals and a career-best eight assists in Thursday’s win over Emmanuel. 


#NECWBB BY THE NUMBERS

17 - FDU head coach Stephanie Gaitley became the 17th coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to win 700 games Friday at American.
17 - FDU guard and NEC Rookie of the Week Ava Renninger is tied for 17th among NCAA Division I rookies in scoring (16.0 ppg).
39 - Sponsoring the sport for the first time in 1986-87, the NEC tipped off its 39th women’s basketball season this past week.
1 - For the first time in program history, FDU was picked to win it all in 2024-25, according to the NEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.


#NECWBB FAST BREAK

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Graduate student Meghan Kenefick and junior Alonna Sellers are the lone NEC teammates to have double-doubles this season.

CHICAGO STATE: Chicago State tipped off the Corry Irvine era with stiff competition in Iowa State, Butler and Cleveland State.

FDU: Defeating Dominican, American and Mount St. Mary’s, the Knights are off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2017-18.

LE MOYNE: The Dolphins are one of two NEC teams to have a first-year coach at the helm in Nick DiPillo.

LIU: LIU scored its first win of the 2024-25 campaign by way of a 63-52 decision over visiting Cal State Fullerton on Sunday.

MERCYHURST: Mercyhurst knocked down 8-of-15 from three at DePaul and shot an NEC single-game best 53.3 percent vs. the Big East squad.

SAINT FRANCIS U: Sophomore guard Marina Artero has eight assists to just one miscue in two games for a league-best 8.0 assist-to-turnover ratio.

STONEHILL: Stonehill has delivered stifling defense early on, holding foes to a league-low 52.0 points per game on 32.6 percent shooting.

WAGNER: Wagner is combining to shoot 44.4 percent from the field as a team through two games to lead the NEC.

#NECWBB NEWS & NOTES FROM WEEK #1

WHAT’S ON TAP?
All nine NEC squads will be in action during the second week of the young 2024-25 campaign. All eyes will be on FDU, as the Knights look to go 4-0 for the first time since 1991-92 when they play host to Bucknell. LIU also highlights this week’s slate with a pair of non-conference tilts with crosstown rivals in Rider and Manhattan. 


GAITLEY’S BIG MILESTONE
FDU second-year head coach Stephanie Gaitley picked up her 700th career victory as a Division I women’s basketball coach on Friday when her Knights scored a nail-biting road 62-59 victory at American.

Gaitley, who ranks sixth in victories among all active NCAA women’s basketball coach with 701 triumphs, became the 17th coach in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to reach the 700-win plateau. In addition, the 39th-year head coach is the first to turn the trick while coaching at six different programs throughout her career, and she is just the second to record 700 victories without making a stop at a Power Five program.

Gaitley has spent 11 of her 39 years as a head coach in the NEC with stops at LIU Brooklyn (2002-2008), Monmouth (2008-2011) and FDU (2023-present). She led Monmouth to the NEC title game and a WNIT appearance, and piloted LIU Brooklyn to a first-place finish and a WNIT berth.

FDU’S REVENGE TOUR
It may be early, but it seems that a lot has changed in Hackensack in just one short year.

Opening the season with a win over Division II member Dominican, the Knights hit the road and knocked off American (62-59) on Friday followed by former NEC member Mount St. Mary’s (63-59) on Sunday. A year ago, FDU lost to both of those teams — at home — by respective 63-57 and 64-50 finals. 

The Knights continue their 2023-24 revenge tour on Wednesday with an opportunity to avenge last season’s 49-44 loss to Bucknell.  

NOTEWORTHY NEWCOMERS
The following NEC newbies mae a strong impression in their first NEC action last week:

Bailey Kuhns, MU: 16.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 34.4 FG%
Ava Rennington, FDU: 16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 41.0 FG%, 50.0 3FG%, 
Asha Walker, CSU: 14.3 ppg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 spg, 37.2 FG%, 36.7 3FG%
Selina Monestime, CCSU: 12.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 50.0 FG%, 1.3 spg
Jenna Van Shalik, MU: 10.5 ppg, 3.0 apg, 88.0 FT%
Kylie Swider, STO: 10.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 55.6 FG%
Aiyanna Culver, CSU: 10.0 ppg , 1.3 apg

FOUR-IN-A-ROW
FDU looks to open a new season with four-striaght victories for the first time since 1992-93 when the Knights play host to Bucknell. That season, which was the only time the program opened the season by going 4-0, the Knights went on to go 23-6 en route to winning the NEC Tournament title. 

THE ROARING TWENTIES
Six different players put up 20-point performances during the opening week of the 2024-25 campaign.

LIU senior forward Amaya Dowdy (Woonsocket, RI/Saint Raphael Academy/(UMass Lowell)) produced the most points in a game by an NEC player to date when she dropped 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting on Sunday to lead the Sharks past Cal State Fullerton, 63-52, for their first win of the season.

Mercyhurst junior forward Bailey Kuhns (Mount Pleasant, PA/Greenburg Central Catholic) began her Division I career with a bang, pouring in 20 points at Notre Dame, a 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight squad, on opening night. 

The other four 20-point efforts were netted against non-Division I opponents.


2024-25 NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11: Teneisia Brown (FDU)
Nov. 18: 

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 11: Ava Renninger (FDU)
Nov. 18: