NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ava Renninger, FDU
Guard, Sophomore, 5-6, Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood
Earning her third NEC Player of the Week award this season, Renninger shined once again for the Knights leading FDU to its fifth straight win last Wednesday. The reigning NEC Rookie of the Year netted 15 points while grabbing seven boards and dishing out five assists in a 57-34 victory at Saint Peter's. Renninger also knocked down a trio of three-pointers as the Knights improved to 7-3 in their 2025-26 campaign. Additionally, the NEC all-star was instrumental in FDU's stifling defense against the Peacocks as the defending conference champs limited Saint Peter's to 24.0 percent shooting from the field and 16.7 percent from beyond the arc as the Knights produced 18 points off 13 Peacock turnovers. Renninger's 16.0 points per game ranks second in the league while her 5.5 assists per game and 36.5 minutes per game pace the NEC. This marked Renninger's fifth career NEC Player of the Week honor.
NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sofia Wilson, Mercyhurst
Guard, Freshman, 5-7, Avon Lake, OH/Magnificat
Wilson dropped a season-high 23 points off the bench for Mercyhurst in Friday night's contest against St. Bonaventure. The rookie guard drained six three-pointers, accounting for half of the Lakers' makes from three-point land in the game. Wilson netted eight of her points in the final quarter as Mercyhurst's comeback bid came up just short as the Bonnies prevailed, 60-57. The Avon Lake, OH native added three rebounds, an assist and a steal to her stat line. Wilson's performance made her just the third NEC rookie to score 20-plus points in a game this season, joining CCSU's Kiyah Lewis and Wagner's Alivia Landy. She was also the first Laker to take home a NEC Rookie of the Week honor since Mercyhurst made its NEC debut in 2024-25.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Ava Renninger, FDU (So., G)
Last week: 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 46.2 FG%, 42.9 3FG% at Saint Peter's
- Named NEC Player of the Week
- FDU's leading scorer in its fifth straight victory.
- Knocked down a trio of three-pointers in the Knights' 57-34 win at Saint Peter's.
- Leads the NEC in apg (5.5) and mpg (36.5) while ranking second in ppg (16.0).
Kadidia Toure, LIU (Sr., F)
Last week: 18.5 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 2.0 spg, 1.5 apg, 33.3 FG%
- Notched her fourth double-double of the season with 28 points and 13 rebounds at UMass Lowell on Sunday.
- Sunday's performance against the Riverhawks marked her third game with 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds.
- Recorded double digit rebounds in both games last week with 15 at Xavier and 13 at UMass Lowell, giving her five such performances this season.
- Leads the NEC in scoring (19.2 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg). She ranks 24th nationall in rebounding and 27th in double-doubles (four).
Shannon Heine, MU (Fr., G/F)
Last week: 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 44.4 3FG% vs. St. Bonaventure
- Had a season-high 12 points and nine rebounds in a near double-double effort against the Bonnies.
- Drained four three-pointers, including a clutch bucket in at the end of the fourth, to keep the Lakers within two.
Sofia Wilson, MU (Fr., G)
Last week: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 54.5 3FG%, 40.0 FG% vs. St. Bonaventure
- Selected as NEC Rookie of the Week.
- Netted a season-high 23 points in a nail-biter against the Bonnies.
- Accounted for half of the Lakers' three-pointers in the contest with six.
Aniya McDonald-Perry, NHVN (Sr., F)
Last week: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 40.0 FG%, 75.0 FT% vs. Yale
- Registered her fourth double-double of the season against the Bulldogs, which is tied for a conference-best and ranks 27th nationally.
- Has grabbed 10 boards in four straight games for the Chargers and five total times on the year.
- Leads the conference and ranks 31st in the nation with 3.1 steals per game.
- Ranks second in the conference with 8.2 rpg.
Aleah James, SFU (Gr., G)
Last week: 22 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 62.5 FG%, 66.7 3FG% at Xavier
- Recorded her second 20-point outing of the year against the Musketeers on Sunday.
- Leads the NEC in three-point field goal percentage at a scorching 56.5 percent.
- Ranks third in the league in minutes per game (34.9).
Shelby Ricks, SFU (Gr., F)
Last week: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 66.7 3FG%, 55.5 FG% at Xavier
- Netted a season-high 16 points at Xavier, her fourth 10-plus point contest of the year.
- Sits at fifth in conference rankings with a 71.9 free throw percentage.
Brooke Paquette, STO (Jr., G)
Last week: 15 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 75.0 3FG% at Providence
- Surpassed the 700-point mark for her career against the Friars and currently sits at 714.
- Owns the best free throw percentage in the NEC going 27-of-31 (87.1%) from the chairty stripe on the year.
Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor, WAG (Jr., F)
Last week: 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist, 1 block, 58.3 FG% at Rider
- Posted a near double-double in 29 minutes against the Broncs.
- Led the Seahawks to their first road victory of the season.
- Ranks fifth in conference in field goal percentage at an efficient 43.2 percent from deep.
#NECWBB BY THE NUMBERS
22 - FDU has won 22 straight games on its home court in Hackensack, NJ with its last home loss coming on Febuary 24, 2024 against Le Moyne.
3 - LIU's Kadidia Toure has notched 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in a league-high 3 games this season with her latest coming on Sunday at UMass Lowell.
10 - Toure is one of only 10 players nationwide with three or more games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.
17 - Wagner recorded 17 steals in Saturday's win over Rider, which is the most by a NEC squad against a Division I opponent since Le Moyne swiped 18 against Merrimack on January 25, 2024.
#NECWBB FAST BREAK
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: CCSU closes its non-conference slate with road games against Siena and Maryland, sandwiched around a home game with New Hampshire.
CHICAGO STATE: Sophomore Keona McGee has notched double digits in back-to-back games with 10 at Fresno State and 12 at Bradley.
FDU: FDU is currently riding a five-game win streak with the Knights hitting the harwood next on December 20 against Ursinus.
LE MOYNE: On December 20 & 21, Le Moyne will particpate in the Hawk Classic, an MTE that features Saint Joseph's, Akron and Delaware.
LIU: LIU boasts one of the top defenses in the league, limiting its opponents' shooting to a NEC-best 37.4 percent from the field.
MERCYHURST: Freshman Sofia Wilson became the third NEC rookie to score 20 or more points in a game with her 23-point outing against St. Bonaventure on Friday.
NEW HAVEN: Veteran Aniya McDonald-Perry has grabbed 10 rebounds in four straight games dating back to 11/25/25 at Fairfield.
SAINT FRANCIS: Grad student Aleah James notched her second 20+ point outing of the year by dropping 22 for the Red Flash on Sunday at Xavier.
STONEHILL: 2025 NEC Most Improved Player of the Year Brooke Paquette hit the career 700-point mark with 15 points at Providence last Saturday.
WAGNER: Wagner secured its first road win of the 2025-26 campaign with its 46-34 victory over Rider on Saturday.
#NECWBB NEWS & NOTES
WHAT'S ON TAP?
Nine #NECWBB squads take the court this week with LIU being the lone team to not hit the hardwood.
This week's slate features 13 road games and two home contests. Le Moyne and Stonehill are participating in Multi-Team Events (MTE).
The Dolphins are heading to the City of Brotherly Love for the Hawk Classic hosted by Saint Joseph's, while the Skyhawks will take part in the Hatter Classic hosted by Stetson in DeLand, FL.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
FDU's eight-point victory over Lafayette last Thursday marked the Knights' 22nd straight victory on their home court, which is the fourth longest streak in Division I. The only teams to have a longer home win streak than the Knights are Texas (32), TCU (31) and Tennessee Tech (23).
The streak started on March 11, 2024 when FDU hosted LIU in a NEC Tournament quarterfinal matchup that saw the Knights win, 71-59.
Of the 22 victories, 12 of them have come against conference opponents with four of them being NEC Tournament contests, including last year's championship game that saw FDU clinch its third title in program history with a 66-49 victory over Stonehill.
FDU has an average margin of victory of 20.9 points per game in wins at home during this span with only two of their triumphs coming by single digits, which came on December 4 against Lafayette (8) and January 20, 2025 against Chicago State (6).
BEST START SINCE...
LIU has posted its best record through the first 10 games of the year since 2017-18 when the team posted an identical 4-6 mark, which ended with LIU finishing fifth in the conference standings.
The Sharks started the season 4-1, which was the program's best start since the 2011-12 campaign.
NEW FACES
There are four head coaches making their debut in the NEC this season, including LIU's Neil Harrow, Mercyhurst's Erin Mills-Reid, New Haven's Debbie Buff and Saint Francis' Chynna Bozeman.
CCSU head coach Kristin Caruso is also marking her first season as the Blue Devils' full-time head coach after being the interim skipper for the final 15 games of the 2024-25 season, leading the Blue Devils to a third-place finish in the league standings.
SEEING DOUBLE
11 NEC players from eight different schools have notched a double-double this season, with only four players hitting the milestone more than once.
Kadidia Toure of LIU, Le Moyne's Ashley Buragas, Aniya McDonald-Perry from New Haven and Wagner's Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor are the only athletes to have turned the trick more than once.
Toure and McDonald-Perry have both posted four double-doubles as both of them notched their fourth last week.
Toure is the only player to register 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in a game more than once with her most recent one coming in a 28-point, 13-rebound outing at UMass Lowell on Sunday.
McDonald-Perry has registered 10 or more rebounds in a conference-high five games this season, including 10 apiece in each of the Chargers' last four contests.
SHARP SHOOTIN' KNIGHTS
Defending conference champion FDU is the top three-point shooting team in the league, making 35.6 percent of its shots from beyond the arc along with draining an average 9.4 per game for a total of 94 on the year.
As a team, FDU ranks 17th nationally with 9.4 three-pointers per game.
Sophomore guard Kailee McDonald (Lowell, MA/Worcester Academy) set a new NEC season-high with seven made three-pointers in the Knights' 69-61 win over Lafayette on 12/04/25. McDonald also established a new career-high with 23 points en route to garnering NEC Player of the Week accolades on 12/08/25.
THE ROARING TWENTIES
Le Moyne junior forward Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, NJ/John Jay (Mineral Area College)) had a historic outing in the Dolphins' 82-79 OT victory over Lafyette on 11/09/25, scoring 20 points and grabbing 22 boards.
It was the first 20-20 double-double by a NEC player since Merrimack's Denia Davis-Stewart (25 points, 24 rebounds) on Feb. 21, 2020. Her 22 boards were the most in a game since Jan. 23, 2022 when Jada Dapaa snagged 23 boards.
Her 22 boards were the second-most in Le Moyne program history and the most by a Dolphin since January 1988. Additionally, Buragas is one of four players in the country to grab 22 boards in a single game this season.
BURSTING ONTO THE SCENE
In it's debut campaign as a NEC member, New Haven is leading the conference in eight different team statistic categories entering Week 7.
These include rebounding offense (40.7), rebounding defense (31.8), rebounding margin (+8.9), assists per game (15.2), steals per game (10.1), offensive rebounds per game (17.0), defensive rebound percantage (69.8) and offensive rebound percentage (44.1).
TOUGH COMPETITION
According to the NET rankings as of 12/14/25, Mercyhurst ranks 42nd in NET Strength of Schedule (SOS).
The Lakers' schedule has featured three AP top-25 opponents, including No. 23 Michigan State, No. 12 Iowa State and No. 25 West Virginia. All of which are Quad 1 opponents.
Le Moyne also boasts a top-100 toughest schedule in the nation by ranking 75th in the NET SOS. The Dolphins have taken on one AP Top-10 opponents in No. 7 Baylor along with playing three teams from Quads 1 and 2.
MORE WEEK #6 NOTABLES
FDU's 94 three-point field goals are the most for the Knights through their first 10 games of the season in 23 years (2002-03 season) and most since 2019-20 (77). Their 94 three-pointers are tied for 28th in NCAA Division I.
LIU's Kadidia Toure (Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel (Arizona State/James Madison)) is one of six players in NCAA Division I to lead their conference in both points per game (19.2) and rebounds per game (10.3) joining Maine's Adrianna Smith (America East), Richmond's Maggie Doogan (A-10), Eastern Michigan's Sisi Eleko (MAC), Howard's Zennia Thomas (MEAC) and Western Illinois' Mia Nicastro (OVC). Of the six, four players average a double double, which includes LIU's Toure.
CCSU's Kiyah Lewis (Fredericksburg, VA/James Monroe) is one of 41 freshmen in the country to score 24 or more points in a game. Lewis hit the 24-point mark against UMass Lowell on 11/15/25.
FDU sophomore Kailee McDonald from FDU is one of 40 players in Division I to make seven or more three-pointers in a game.
Stonehill's Brooke Paquette (Hudson, NH/Bishop Guertin) hit the 700-point mark for her career with 15 points at Providence last week. The reigning NEC Most Improved Player now sits at 714 for her career.
2025-26 NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKLY AWARD WINNERS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 10: Aiyanna Culver, CSU & Kadidia Toure, LIU
Nov. 17: Ava Renninger, FDU
Nov. 24: Madlena Gerke, FDU
Dec. 1: Ava Renninger, FDU
Dec. 8: Kailee McDonald, FDU
Dec. 15: Ava Renninger, FDU
Dec. 22:
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 10: Kayden Clark, LEM
Nov. 17: Reese Roggenburk, STO
Nov. 24: Leah Crosby, FDU
Dec. 1: Leah Crosby, FDU
Dec. 8: Reese Downey, FDU
Dec. 15: Sofia Wilson, MU
Dec. 22: