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Click HERE for List of Award Winners (PDF)

Bridgewater, NJ -- As the NEC women’s basketball landscape continues to evolve, fresh faces and rising programs left their mark this season, while the league’s reigning champions also stood out as the league announced its postseason honors.

Making a splash in her first season in the NEC, LIU’s Kadidia Toure (Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel (Arizona State/James Madison)) became the first NEC Player of the Year for the program since 2006-07 after a dominant campaign for the Sharks. The senior transfer was a double winner, also claiming NEC Newcomer of the Year honors in the award’s second year of existence.

For the second straight year, regular season champion FDU claimed NEC Defensive Player of the Year accolades with grad transfer Madlena Gerke (Riga, Latvia/Rigas15.vidusskola (Evansville)) receiving the nod as the conference’s top defender. After leading the Knights to its second straight unbeaten NEC campaign, head coach Stephanie Gaitley claimed the Brenda Reilly NEC Coach of the Year award for the second time in her three years at the helm for FDU.

Mercyhurst continued to make waves in just its second year as a NEC member by claiming its first major awards in program history. Freshman guard Sofia Wilson (Avon Lake, OH/Magnificat) won the NEC Rookie of the Year award, while sophomore guard Cici Hernandez (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic) was selected as the conference’s Most Improved Player. The Lakers finished 14-4 in conference play and secured the No. 2 seed in this week’s NEC Tournament in just its second year as a league member and in its first year of postseason eligibility.

Transferring to LIU for her senior season, Toure took the league by storm and ended the regular season leading the conference in four different statistical categories. The Silver Spring, MD averaged a double-double with a league best 18.8 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. She also added NEC-best averages in blocks (1.4) and defensive rebounding (6.8). Toure also posted the most double-doubles in the conference with 13 on the year. In 11 of those games, she scored at least 20 points and grabbed at least 10 boards, which is tied with three others for the most in the country. Eight of her 20-and-10 outings came against conference opponents. Both her 11 overall and eight in conference were the most by a NEC player since 2019-20. Toure tied for a conference-best three Influxer/NEC Player of the Week honors this season.

Toure became the third-ever LIU athlete to earn NEC Player of the Year honors, joining Valerie Nainima (2006-07) and Tamika Dudley (2001-02). She was also the first Shark to take home NEC Newcomer of the Year laurels as the award was instituted last season. In addition to her major awards, Toure landed on the All-NEC first team and the All-Defensive squad. She earned distinction as LIU’s first All-Conference first team selection since 2021-22 and the first Shark to earn a spot on the All-Defensive squad since the honor was re-instituted last season.

Gerke anchored not just the best scoring defense in the conference but one of the best units in the nation. The Knights allowed just 51.0 points per game, which ranks third among all Division I programs. FDU also boasted the top field goal percentage defense in the NEC and seventh best in the nation, limiting opponents to just 35.1 percent shooting from the floor. Additionally, the Knights ranked second in the conference three-point field goal percentage defense (28.5) and 71st nationally. The Evansville transfer swiped the ball 44 times while averaging 1.4 steals per game, placing her in the top-10 in the NEC. She recorded a season-high four steals against New Haven on January 10. She also swatted 12 shots on the year.

Offensively, Gerke was 13th in scoring with 11.5 points and averaged the third-most triples per game (2.6). The Latvia native was named Influxer/NEC Player of the Week on November 24. The Riga, Latvia native became the third Knight to take home NEC Defensive Player of the Year honors and second in as many years. 2025 NEC Tournament MVP Teneisia Brown attained the accolade last year, while Erika Livermore did so in 2014-15. Additionally, Gerke highlighted the All-Defensive team and claimed a spot on the All-NEC second team.

Garnering a league-best five Influxer/NEC Rookie of the Week awards, Wilson wasted no time becoming a key player for the Lakers. The freshman guard dropped 3.4 dimes per game, the second-most in the conference, and dished out a season-high eight assists at Chicago State on January 24. She was also third on her team in scoring with 11.5 ppg. Wilson earned four of her five Rookie of the Week awards during a superb five-week stretch in the month of January where she averaged 15.5 points, 4.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. The 5-7 rookie was the only Laker to register a double-double this season as she recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in a crucial road win at Wagner on February 19. Wilson will go down as Mercyhurst’s first-ever NEC Rookie of the Year award winner. The last time a Laker was tabbed a Rookie/Freshman of the Year was prior to Mercyhurst’s DI era in 2008 when Amy Achensinki was tabbed the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Freshman of the Year. She also became the first NEC All-Rookie selection for the Lakers since becoming a full member.

Hernandez improved her game by leaps and bounds during her sophomore year on the shores of Lake Erie. The 5-6 guard finished the season third in the NEC with 14.2 points per game after putting up 6.2 ppg a season ago. Hernandez was even more impressive in conference play as her 17.2 ppg was second in the league. As one of the conference's sharpest shooters, Hernandez drained 81 three-pointers for an average of 2.8 per game to rank second among her NEC peers. She canned a league-best 59 triples against league foes. Overall, the Bethlehem, PA native ranks second in three-point percentage on the year (38.8), just percentage points behind teammate Lena Walz. Hernandez was one of two players this year to hit eight three-pointers in a game – a NEC single game-high this season – when she went for 24 points against Stonehill on February 28. Hernandez was named Influxer/NEC Player of the Week on January 19. In addition to earning Most Improved Player accolades, Hernandez was tabbed a first team all-star as well. This marked the first time a Mercyhurst hooper has claimed the Most Improved Player award.

Gaitley continued to make history during her time at FDU as she and her staff built off last year’s unprecedented success. Under Gaitley’s tutelage, the Knights went a perfect 18-0 in conference play and 27-4 overall. It marked the second straight year that FDU went unbeaten in conference play, becoming the second-ever NEC program to do so (Monmouth: 1986-87, 1987-88). In the process of going undefeated, the Knights have won a record 37 consecutive NEC regular season games, breaking the previous record of 34 that was set 37 seasons ago. FDU surpassed the previous mark on February 26 with a win over Le Moyne and have extended it since then with victories over LIU and Saint Francis. The streak started on February 29, 2024 during Gaitley's first year as the Knights' skipper.

FDU’s undefeated NEC season has them in some good company as the Knights are one of two DI teams nationwide go unbeaten in back-to-back conference campaigns (No. 1 UConn) and one of three to be undefeated in their respective conferences this season (No. 1 UConn and No. 2 UCLA). The Knights claimed their fourth regular season crown and second one in as many years. FDU will enter the upcoming NEC Tournament as the top seed once again in its quest for a first-ever repeat and to bring a fourth conference title back to Hackensack. For Gaitley, it marked her second Brenda Reilly NEC Coach of the Year award at FDU and third overall (LIU: 2006-07). It was also the fifth time a FDU head coach has been tabbed Coach of the Year by their peers (Angelika Szumilo in 2023 and 2022; Sharon Beverly in 1993).


AWARD WINNER HIGHLIGHTS

• NEC regular season champion FDU landed the most All-NEC picks with three. Mercyhurst and LIU were not far behind with two apiece.
• Following a NEC Rookie of the Year campaign, Ava Renninger (Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood) continued to make noise with a second straight All-NEC first team nod. Dubbed “The General,” Renninger led the league with 162 assists and 5.2 dimes per game. She was also a three-time Influxer/NEC Player of the Week this season, tying Toure for the most this season.
• Sophomore Kailee McDonald (Lowell, MA/Worcester Academy) joined NEC Defensive Player of the Year Gerke on both the All-Conference second squad and the All-Defensive team. This was the first time FDU featured two second team all-stars since 1991-92 and a pair of All-Defensive picks since the 2014-15 season.
• In addition to Most Improved Player Hernandez, senior guard Jenna Van Schaik (Cincinnati, OH/Ursuline Academy) was an All-NEC first team honoree, marking the second straight year the Lakers sported a first team all-star and the first year that they had two.
• LIU also featured a pair of first team All-Conference players for the first time in 25 years with junior guard Janessa Williams (Lake Worth, FL/The King’s Academy) attaining the accolade in addition to NEC Player of the Year Toure.
• In her junior season, Stonehill guard Brooke Paquette (Hudson, NH/Bishop Guertin) continued to up her game as she earned a spot on the All-NEC first team after a second team nod and Most Improved Player laurels a year ago. A two-time Influxer/NEC Player of the Week, Paquette finished second in the league in scoring with 15.0 points per game.
• New Haven senior Aniya McDonald-Perry (Middletown, CT/Putnam Science Academy (Saint Rose)) made history for the Chargers as the program's first NEC all-star after landing on the second team and being tabbed to the All-Defensive team. McDonald-Perry led the league in steals per game (2.7) and ranked second in rebounding (9.1). Additionally, she won a pair of Influxer/NEC Player of the Week awards for the Chargers.
• With the NEC All-Defensive team making a comeback last season, only one player has made the cut both years since its return and that's Wagner’s Keana Foz (Mississauga, Ontario/Fort Erie International). Her 2.0 steals per game were second in the conference during the regular season.
• Wagner also boasted a second team all-star for the third time in four seasons with junior center Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor (Ondo State, Nigeria/Topfield Secondary School) receiving the nod.
• Joining the conference in 2023, Le Moyne has now featured at least one All-Conference member every year. Junior transfer Ashley Buragas (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay (Mineral Area College)) was a second team selection in her debut season with the Dolphins.
• Chicago State sophomore guard Keona McGee (Milwaukee, WI/Dominican) became the second NEC all-star for the Cougars as they have claimed a spot on the second squad in back-to-back seasons.
• For the third time in as many years, five different schools made up the All-Rookie squad with Central Connecticut, FDU, Le Moyne, Mercyhurst and Stonehill all garnering accolades in 2025-26.

2025-26 NEC Women's Basketball Award Winners

Player of the Year
Kadidia Toure         LIU                F    6-3    Sr.       Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel(Arizona State/James Madison)

Rookie of the Year
Sofia Wilson          Mercyhurst        G     5-7    Fr.       Avon Lake, OH/Magnificat

Defensive Player of the Year
Madlena Gerke         FDU               G/F   5-10   Gr.       Riga, Latvia/Rigas15.vidusskola (Evansville)

Most Improved Player
Cici Hernandez        Mercyhurst        G     5-6    So.       Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic

Newcomer of the Year
Kadidia Toure         LIU                F    6-3    Sr.       Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel (Arizona State/James Madison)

Brenda Reilly Coach of the Year
Stephanie Gaitley     FDU
 

2025-26 NEC Women's Basketball First Team All-Conference
 
Name                       School                Pos     Ht    Yr        Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Cici Hernandez             Mercyhurst            G       5-6   So.       Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic
Brooke Paquette            Stonehill             G       5-8   Jr.       Hudson, NH/Bishop Guertin
Ava Renninger              FDU                   G       5-6   So.       Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood
Kadidia Toure              LIU                   F       6-3   Sr.       Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel
                                                                         (Arizona State/James Madison)
Jenna Van Schaik           Mercyhurst            G       5-7   Sr.       Cicinnati, OH/Ursuline Academy
Janessa Williams           LIU                   G       5-10  Jr.       Lake Worth, FL/The King's Academy

2025-26 NEC Women's Basketball Second Team All-Conference
 
Name                       School                Pos     Ht    Yr        Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Ashley Buragas             Le Moyne              F       6-1   Jr.       Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay(Mineral Area College)
Lijirin Doyinsola Modesayor   Wagner                C       6-3   Jr.       Ondo State, Nigeria/Topfield Secondary School
Madlena Gerke              FDU                   G/F     5-10  Gr.       Riga, Latvia/Rigas15.vidusskola(Evansville)
Kailee McDonald            FDU                   G       5-9   So.       Lowell, MA/Worcester Academy
Aniya McDonald-Perry       New Haven             G       5-9   Sr.       Middletown, CT/Putnam Science Academy(Saint Rose)
Keona McGee                Chicago State         G       5-8   So.       Milwaukee, WI/Dominican

2025-26 NEC Women's Basketball All-Defensive Team
 
Name                       School                Pos     Ht    Yr        Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Keana Foz                  Wagner                G       5-8   So.       Mississauga, Ontario/Fort Erie International
Madlena Gerke              FDU                   G/F     5-10  Gr.       Riga, Latvia/Rigas15.vidusskola(Evansville)
Kailee McDonald            FDU                   G       5-9   So.       Lowell, MA/Worcester Academy
Aniya McDonald-Perry       New Haven             G       5-9   Sr.       Middletown, CT/Putnam Science Academy (Saint Rose)
Kadidia Toure              LIU                   F       6-3   Sr.       Silver Spring, MD/Our Lady of Good Counsel
                                                                         (Arizona State/James Madison)

2025-26 NEC Women's Basketball All-Rookie Team
 
Name                       School                Pos     Ht    Yr        Hometown/High School (Previous School)
Leah Crosby                FDU                   F       6-0   Fr.       Plainfield, NJ/St. Thomas Aquinas
Peyton Dincher             Le Moyne              G       5-10  Fr.       Jersey Shore, PA/Jersey Shore
Kiyah Lewis                Central Connecticut   F       6-0   Fr.       Fredericksburg, VA/James Monroe
Ella Pelletier             Stonehill             G       6-0   Fr.       South Paris, ME/Oxford Hills
Sofia Wilson               Mercyhurst            G       5-7   Fr.       Avon Lake, OH/Magnificat

About The NEC
Now in its 45th season, the NEC is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of ten institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#9). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#88). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, New Haven, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website (www.necsports.com) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECSports.