NEW YORK (April 20, 2015) – Ka-Deidre Simmons of Seton Hall was named the All Met Division I women’s college basketball Player of the Year on Monday by the Met Basketball Writers Assn.

Anthony Bozzella of Seton Hall received the Maggie Dixon Coach of the Year award.

Ashunae Durant of Hofstra was selected Rookie of the Year.

The All-Met players and coaches in men's and women's Divisions I, II and III were honored on April 22, at the 82nd NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, NY.

The rest of the All-Met First Team: Aaliyah Handford, St. John's; Betnijah Laney, Rutgers; Damika Martinez, Iona; Kelsey Minato, Army; Daisha Simmons, Seton Hall.

The Second Team: Kahleah Copper, Rutgers; Syessence Davis, Rutgers; Ashunae Durant, Hofstra; Danaejah Grant, St. John's; Tabatha Richardson-Smith, Seton Hall.

The Third Team: Tori Jarosz, Marist; Erika Livermore, Fairleigh Dickinson; Jasmine Nwajei, Wagner; Tori Oliver, Columbia; Casey Smith, Fairfield.

Player of the Year: Ka-Deidre Simmons, Seton Hall

A 5-8 grad student guard from Newark, NJ, Simmons --- who was named an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention and to the All-Big East First Team for a second straight season --- helped the Pirates notch an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 1995. She set a program record with 194 assists this past season (5.7 apg, 22nd in nation) and finished as the school’s all-time assists leader with 562, in addition to averaging 17.0 ppg this season. She is second all-time at Seton Hall in scoring with 1,717 points and second in steals with 257. Simmons also is SHU’s all-time leader in made free throws (502) after starting 126 of her 129 games played over four seasons.

A 5-10 freshman guard from Newark, NJ, who also was named to the All-Met Second Team along with her Rookie of the Year accolade, Durant was second on the pride with 11.0 ppg and 7.0 rpg, and shot a team-best 48.7% from the field (No. 5 in the Colonial Athletic Assn.). Also named CAA rookie of the year and to the All-CAA second team, she scored in double figures in 22 games, along with posting seven double-doubles.

Maggie Dixon Women's Coach of the Year: Anthony Bozzella, Seton Hall

In his second season at the helm, Bozzella --- who was named Big East coach of the year --- guided the Pirates (28-6) to the most victories in program history and racked up the most wins since posting a 27-5 record during Seton Hall’s run to the Sweet 16 in 1994. SHU, which competed in the WNIT in 2014, returned to the NCAA Tournament this season for the first time since 1995; won its first Big East regular season title; and set a school record with 2,569 points. Previously head coach at Southampton, then LIU, and for 11 seasons at Iona, Bozzella and his wife, Maria, met as students at Seton Hall University and have been married for more than 20 years. They reside in W. Orange, NJ, and have two teenage children, Samantha and Joseph.

ALL-MET WOMEN'S DIVISION I

FIRST TEAM

Ka-Deidre Simmons, Seton Hall 5-8, gr, G Newark, NJ

Daisha Simmons, Seton Hall 5-10, gr, G Jersey City, NJ

Aaliyah Handford, St. John's 5-9, jr, G Newark, NJ

Kelsey Minato, Army 5-8, jr, G Huntington Beach, CA

Damika Martinez, Iona 5-7, sr, G Meriden, CT

Betnijah Laney, Rutgers 6-0, sr, F/G Clayton, DE

SECOND TEAM

Kahleah Copper, Rutgers 6-1, jr, F/G Philadelphia, PA

Ashunae Durant, Hofstra 5-10, fr, G Newark, NJ

Syessence Davis, Rutgers 5-7, sr, G Neptune, NJ

Danaejah Grant, St. John's 5-9, jr, G Piscataway, NJ

Tabatha Richardson-Smith, Seton Hall 6-0, jr, F Bay City, TX

THIRD TEAM

Tori Jarosz, Marist 6-3, sr, F/C Cortlandt Manor, NY

Erika Livermore, FDU 6-1, jr, C Nazareth, PA

Jasmine Nwajei, Wagner 5-8, so, G Rockaway Park, NY

Tori Oliver, Columbia 6-0, so, F Manassas, VA

Casey Smith, Fairfield 6-2, so, F Danbury, CT

--- www.metbasketballwriters.org ---