INFLUXER/NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Aniya McDonald-Perry, New Haven
Forward, Senior, 5-9, Middletown, CT/Putnam Science Academy (Saint Rose)
McDonald-Perry did it all on the court last week on her way to earning her second Influxer/NEC Player of the Week award on the year. The senior forward averaged 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game in a pair of nail-biters for the Chargers. On Saturday afternoon, McDonald-Perry recorded her league-leading eighth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds in a one-point victory over Saint Francis. She added three steals and two assists in the win. McDonald-Perry had another standout performance on Thursday night as she went for 25 points, six boards, four dimes and four blocks in a thrilling 81-75 overtime setback against Mercyhurst. On the week, McDonald-Perry shot an efficient 55.0 percent from the field, while going an impressive 15-of-16 (93.7 percent) from the charity stripe. The Middletown, CT native leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (4.4) along with ranking second with 4.4 rpg, 2.4 spg and a 48.6 clip from the field. McDonald-Perry joins her teammate, Addisen Sulikowski, as the only other Charger to take home the Influxer/NEC Player of the Week honor multiple times this season.

INFLUXER/NEC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sofia Wilson, Mercyhurst
Guard, Freshman, 5-7, Avon Lake, OH/Magnificat
Wilson continued her hot streak over the weekend as she garnered her fifth Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week accolades of the year and third in the past four weeks. The rookie standout put up an average of 15.5 points, 6.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game as Mercyhurst put up a 1-1 record over the weekend. Wilson was clutch for the Lakers in their six-point overtime win at New Haven with a pair of key buckets late in OT to secure the victory. Through 32 minutes, she dropped 14 points, dished out seven dimes, pulled down five boards and swiped the ball four times against the Chargers on Thursday night. The Avon Lake, OH added a 17-point, five-assist, three-rebound outing during a narrow four-point defeat against Chicago State on Saturday afternoon. Wilson sunk 53.8 percent of her shots from the field in battle with the Cougars as she posted a 46.4 clip on the week. The 5-7 guard drops the second-most dimes per game in the league with 3.6 per game, which is also the most among NEC rookies. Mercyhurst currently sits at third in the league standings with a 7-3 mark in conference play.

NEC PRIME PERFORMERS

Keona McGee, CSU (So., G)
Last week: 14.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 34.6 FG%, 55.5 FT%

- Led Chicago State to a 2-0 weekend.
- Scored 18 points, grabbed six boards and dished out three assists in 70-61 win at Saint Francis.
- Added 10 points, seven rebounds and dropped five dimes in 68-64 victory at Mercyhurst.

Madlena Gerke, FDU (Gr., G/F)
Last week: 15.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 52.3 FG%, 37.5 3FG%

- Matched her season-high with 24 points in FDU's 78-54 triumph over Stonehill on Thursday night.
- Went 9-of-14 against the Skyhawks while draining four three-pointers. 
- One of three NEC players to score 20 or more points in at least five games this season.

Sierra Linnin, LEM (Sr., G)
Last week: 16.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg, 41.6 FG%, 36.8 3FG%, 85.7 FT%

- Drained six shots from beyond the arc on her way to 24 points against LIU on Thursday.
- Added nine points, two assists and three steals at Stonehill on Saturday afternoon.
- Averages 2.2 three-pointers per game, which is third in the conference.

Kadidia Toure, LIU (Sr., F)
Last week: 16.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 3.5 spg, 2.5 bpg, 38.4 FG%, 92.3 FT%

- Swatted a career-high four shots in LIU's victory at Le Moyne on Thursday.
- Dropped 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists and five steals against the Dolphins. 
- Scored 14 points against CCSU on Saturday for her 12th straight game in double figures.
- Leads the NEC in scoring (18.4), rebounding (9.3), steals (2.5) and blocks (1.4).

Janessa Williams, LIU (Jr., G)
Last week: 18.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 63.1 FG%, 70.0 3FG%, 100.0 FT%

- Shot an efficient 9-of-12 from the field on her way to 23 points in a 84-65 win at Le Moyne.
- Canned seven three-pointers last week with five of them coming against the Dolphins.
- Has scored in double figures through the Sharks' last four games.

Cici Hernandez, MU (So., G)
Last week: 17.5 ppg, 3.5 apg, 43.3 FG%, 35.2 3FG%, 100.0 FT%

- Led Mercyhurst in scoring with 21 points at New Haven - highlighted by five buckets from beyond the arc.
- Shot 53.3 percent from the field in a 81-75 OT win over the Chargers.
- Added 14 points and three assists against Chicago State on Saturday.
- Ranks second in the league in scoring during conference play with 17.3 ppg.

Sofia Wilson, MU (Fr., G)
Last week: 15.5 ppg, 6.0 apg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 spg, 46.4 FG%, 37.5 3FG%

- Earned Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week for the fifth time this season and third time in the last four weeks.
- Hit a pair of clutch buckets late in OT at New Haven.
- Registered 17 points off 7-of-13 shooting along with five assists against Chicago State.
- Dropped seven dimes against the Chargers.

Aniya McDonald-Perry, NHVN (Sr., F)
Last week: 18.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.5 spg, 2.0 bpg, 55.0 FG%, 93.7FT%

- Tabbed Influxer/NEC Player of the Week for the second time this year.
- Notched her league-leading eighth double-double of the year with 12 points and 11 rebounds against SFU
- Dropped 25 points in OT setback against Mercyhurst.
 - Went an impressive 15-of-16 from the charity stripe last week.

Gemma Walker, SFU (So., G)
Last week: 15.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 46.6 FG%, 55.5 3FG%, 84.6 FT%

- Netted 17 points against Chicago State as she went 5-of-7 from the field.
- Registered 13 points at New Haven along with a trio of three-pointers.
- Drained a pair of buckets from beyond the arc to give the Red Flash a one-point edge late.

Brooke Paquette, STO (Jr., G)
Last week: 19.5 ppg, 4.0 pg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 48.1 FG%, 58.3 3FG%, 75.0 FT%

- Recorded 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in a 79-54 win against Le Moyne.
- Went 5-of-7 from three against the Dolphins on Saturday.
- Notched 18 points at FDU on Thursday to lead the Skyhawks in scoring. 

Julia Webster, STO (So., F)
Last week: 14.0 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.0 bpg, 60.0 FG%, 100.0 FT%

- Posted her first career double-double with a career-high 22 points and 15 rebounds on Saturday.
- Shot an impressive 11-of-16 from the field while dropping four dimes, swiping the twice and swatting two shots.
- Third in the conference in field goal percentage with a 48.4 clip.

#NECWBB BY THE NUMBERS

16 - Mercyhurst drained 16 three-pointers in its 81-75 overtime win at New Haven - marking the most by a NEC squad against a DI opponent and in conference play this season.

8 - LIU's Kadidia Toure is one of only 8 players nationwide with six or more games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds with her last such outing coming at Saint Francis on 01/10/26.

29 - FDU owns 29 consecutive wins over NEC opponents after a 10-0 start to league play. The Knights are just 6 wins away from beating the all-time NEC regular season win streak.

#NECWBB FAST BREAK

CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Senior Lucia Noin ranks fifth in the conference in scoring with an average of 12.5 points per game.

CHICAGO STATE: Chicago State has won five of its last seven games to improve to 5-5 in conference play, including two consecutive victories.

FDU: The Knights boast the third-best scoring defense in the nation, allowing an average of just 52.1 points per game.

LE MOYNE: Senior Sierra Linnin became the fourth NEC player to can six or more three-pointers in a game this season against LIU on Thursday.

LIU: Senior Kadidia Toure registered a career-high four blocks aat Le Moyne on Thursday night.

MERCYHURST: Mercyhurst has been hot from beyond the arc in league play, averaging a conference-best 10.0 three-pointers per game.

NEW HAVEN: Senior Aniya McDonald-Perry notched her league-best eighth double-double of the year with 12 points & 11 rebounds vs. SFU.

SAINT FRANCIS: SFU is one win away from becoming the first program to reach 400 NEC victories as the Red Flash earned win #399 on 01/17/26.

STONEHILL: Junior Brooke Paquette hit the 900-point mark for her career and currently sits 70 points away from hitting 1,000 with 930 in her career.

WAGNER: Wagner swiped the ball 15 times against CCSU on Thursday, which is tied for the most in a NEC game this season. 

#NECWBB NEWS & NOTES

WHAT’S ON TAP?
Thursday night’s slate starts with a trio of games at 6:00 p.m. and two at 7:00 p.m. The schedule features another rematch of the 2025 NEC Championship with FDU visiting Stonehill along with a couple of intrastate rivalries with Wagner at Le Moyne and Saint Francis at Mercyhurst.

Saturday boasts a match up in the top-three of the NEC standings with Mercyhurst visiting FDU at 1:00 p.m. 

NEC ON NATIONAL TV
#NECWBB will appear on ESPN+ this Saturday afternoon with LIU heading north to Stonehill at 1:00 p.m.

Last time these two teams met was on 01/22/26 in Brooklyn, NY with the Sharks prevailing 72-59.

RYZ GAME OF THE WEEK
Thursday night’s game between FDU and Stonehill at Merkert Gymnasium in Easton, MA is the RYZ Network Game of the Week. The 6:00 p.m. game will be aired on the FAST channel while streaming simultaneously on NEC Front Row.

The two 2025 NEC Tournament finalists last met on January 29 as the Knights won, 78-54, on their home court. 

RYZ Sports Network brings the conference broader exposure with school-produced men’s and women’s Game of the Week broadcasts on its linear FAST channel, carried on Samsung TV+, Roku, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Live, Xumo, Xfinity, LG, Fubo and more. RYZ also connects with millions of viewers through the Atmosphere OOH network, bringing live sports to restaurants, gyms, hotels and other venues nationwide.

FREE BASKETBALL
Last Thursday night’s contest between Mercyhurst and New Haven was the first conference game of the year to go into overtime with the Lakers winning, 81-75. 

It’s the first NEC game to go into OT since Chicago State defeated Saint Francis, 58-55, on 03/01/25.

COUNTDOWN TO ONE THOUSAND
Stonehill junior guard Brooke Paquette (Hudson, NH/Bishop Guertin) hit the 900-point mark for her career last week. The reigning NEC Most Improved Player is just 70 point away from hitting the 1,000-point mark for her career. 

Paquette currently ranks second in the conference for points per game with 15.0 on the year, while averaging 17.2 ppg in league play, which is third among NEC players.

STREAKING
FDU remains the lone unbeaten squad in #NECWBB and are out to a 10-0 start. It currently rides a 29-game win streak against NEC opponents.

15 of those wins have come at home during that streak as the Knights have claimed 16 consecutive home victories against NEC rivals, with their first home victory of this streak coming in a 2024 NEC quarterfinal against LIU on 03/11/25.

The Knights are currently one of 14 teams nationwide to have a winning streak of 11 or more games.

FDU is just six wins away from owning the longest NEC regular season game win streak record. The previous record is held by Monmouth, which won 34 consectuive conference games from the 1986-87 season to the 1988-89 campaign.

After a 10-0 start to conference play, FDU has already locked up a spot in the NEC Tournament. 

DROPPIN’ DIMES
LIU guard Solangelei Akridge (San Diego, CA/Mater Dei (Alabama State)) dropped eight dimes at Le Moyne on Thursday to tie the NEC individual game-high for the season. 

FDU’s Ava Renninger, Mercyhurst’s Sofia Wilson and Saint Francis’ Aleah James are the only other players to accomplish the feat this year. Renninger is the only to dish out eight or more assists on multiple occasions this season.

LOCKDOWN DEFENSE
FDU currently ranks fourth in the nation for scoring defense as the Knights allow just 52.1 points per game.

The only squads in the country that allow fewer points per game than the Knights are No. 1 UConn (51.1) and McNeese (51.5). 

10-0 FDU has allowed just 52.1 points per game in league play.

SOPHOMORE SURGE
Mercyhurst sophomore Cici Hernandez (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) has been on fire as of late and is making strides in her sophomore season. 

Hernandez has upgraded her 6.2 ppg a year ago to 13.0 ppg this season. She has already outscored her point total from last season with 274 compared to 156 a year ago.

Additionally, Hernandez is averaging 17.3 ppg in conference play - ranking second in the conference rankings.

MAKING IT RAIN
LIU junior Solangelei Akridge nailed seven three-pointers in the Sharks' 79-68 win over Le Moyne on 01/15/26 to match a NEC individual game-high this season. She is also the only player to do so in conference play.

FDU's Kailee McDonald also hit seven shots from three-point land on 12/04/25 against Lafayette.

BIG TIME TOURE
Senior transfer Kadidia Toure (Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel (Arizona State/James Madison)) continues to make her mark on the league in her first season with LIU as the Sharks are 8-2 in NEC play for the first time since 2007-08.

Toure is the only NEC player to register 20+ points and 10+ rebounds in a game more than once this season. She is one of only eight players nationwide with six or more games with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. 

Additionally, Toure is one of six DI players to lead their respective conference in both points and rebounds per game.

PERFECT SHOOTING
With a 10-for-10 outing from the field in a 70-51 win over CCSU on 01/04/26, Aniya McDonald-Perry (Middletown, CT/Putnam Science Academy (Saint Rose)) became the first NEC player in nearly 22 years - and the only one since the start of the 1998–99 season - to go perfect from the field with at least 10 makes. She finished the contest with 22 points after knocking down a pair of free throws, as well.

The senior forward joined NEC Hall of Famer Beth Swink, who went 10-for-10 for Saint Francis against Purdue in the 2004 NCAA Tournament (3/21/04).

She is one of only four players nationwide this season to make 10-plus shots without a miss and the only one to do it in the 2026 calendar year.

SHARP SHOOTIN’ KNIGHTS
Defending conference champion FDU is the top three-point shooting team in the league, making 34.5 percent of its shots from beyond the arc along with draining an average of 9.0 per game for a total of 206 on the year. As a team, FDU is T-19th nationally with 9.0 three-pointers per game, while their 206 three-point field goals are 12th in Division I.

Sophomore guard Kailee McDonald (Lowell, MA/Worcester Academy) has drained 68 three-pointers this season, which is fifth in the nation.

SEEING DOUBLE
20 different NEC players from nine different schools have notched a double-double this season, with only 12 turning the trick more than once while five players own four or more on the year.

8 Aniya McDonald-Perry, NHVN
7 Kadidia Toure, LIU
5 Ashley Buragas, LEM
4 Shelby Ricks, SFU
4 Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor, WAG
2 Lucia Noin, CCSU
2 Tania Allen, CSU
2 Leah Crosby, FDU
2 Rebecca Osei-Owusu, FDU
2 Laura Molnárová, LIU
2 Ella Pelletier, STO
2 Irene Fernandez de Caleya, WAG
1 Keona McGee, CSU
1 Saran Diallo Toure, LIU
1 Janessa Williams, LIU
1 Lindsay Hogan, NHVN
1 Merit Innocent, NHVN
1 Sonia Sato, SFU
1 Brooke Paquette, STO
1 Reese Roggenburk, STO

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 10 players in the country to grab 22 or more boards in a single game this season.

LEAGUE PLAY
Each #NECWBB will partake in an 18-game double round-robin schedule under the conference’s 10-team alignment this academic year. The schedule runs 10 weeks with the teams playing every Thursday and Saturday until Thursday, March 5th.

TOURNEY TIME
The NEC Women’s Basketball Championship will remain an eight-team playoff format in 2025-26 with every game being played at the home of the higher seed. After the quarterfinals, advancing teams will be reseeded so the highest remaining seed plays the lowest remaining seed.

WHO’S IN THE MIX?
With Mercyhurst now postseason eligible, nine of the 10 eligible teams will participate in this year’s NEC Tournament. NEC newcomer New Haven is not yet eligible for conference postseason play.

Stonehill has completed its Division I reclassification and is now eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time this season. Le Moyne and Mercyhurst are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament due to their current statuses as Division I reclassifying institutions.

If a reclassifying institutions wins the NEC Tournament championships, the tournament runner-up will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the NEC’s automatic qualifier as per current policy. If two reclassifying member reach the conference final, the NEC will stage an “AQ” game between the two non-advancing semifinal teams. This will serve as a decisive game to determine the team that will secure the NEC’s spot in the NCAA Tournament. The “AQ” game will occur this season if both Le Moyne and Mercyhurst reach conference tournament final.

2025-26 INFLUXER/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: Brooke Paquette, STO
Dec. 31: Addisen Sulikowski, NHVN
Jan. 6: Aniya McDonald-Perry, NHVN
Jan. 12: Kadidia Toure, LIU
Jan. 19: Cici Hernandez, MU
Jan. 26: Keona McGee, CSU & Addisen Sulikowski, NHVN
Feb. 2: Aniya McDonald-Perry, NHVN
Feb. 9: 

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: Ella Pelletier, STO
Dec. 31: Reese Downey, FDU
Jan. 6: Sofia Wilson, MU
Jan. 12: Sofia Wilson, MU
Jan. 19: Peyton Dincher, LEM
Jan. 26: Sofia Wilson, MIU
Feb. 2: Sofia Wilson, MU
Feb. 9: