NEW YORK (April 15, 2026) – Grace Lesko of Mercy University has been named the All-Met Division II women’s college basketball Player of the Year for 2025-26, it was announced Wednesday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
Scott Lagas of Mercy was selected Coach of the Year, for the second time in the last three seasons, having earned the honor in 2024.
This is the first MBWA Player of the Year designation for a Mercy athlete, men or women.
The All-Met First Team: Nkiru Awaka, Queens; Ciara Collins, Pace; Lucy Coogan, Caldwell; Stephanie Formby, Felician; Colleen McCullagh, Molloy; Ane Valle, Felician; and Lesko.
The All-Met Second Team: Amani Abuhatab, Mercy; Angelina Barrera, Mercy; Imani Gillette, Georgian Court; Cayla Howard, Dominican; Jah’Nel Lewis, Caldwell; Kyra Rose, Staten Island; Sophia Yearwood, Molloy.
All-Met Honorable Mention: Bailey Chapman, St. Thomas Aquinas; Shonyae Edmonds, Staten Island; Rosa Rizzitelli, Molloy.
The 2025-26 All-Met teams will be honored at the 93rd MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner on Thursday, April 23, at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel & Conference Center in Tarrytown, NY. The Haggerty dinner is the longest running, media-managed college basketball awards program in the United States.
A 6-0 junior forward from Northampton, PA, Lesko --- who also was named East Coast Conference player of the year and a WBCA Division II All-America Honorable Mention --- led the Mavericks (22-8, 15-1) to a share of their first-ever ECC regular season title and into the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in three seasons with an at-large invitation.
The team leader in scoring (551 points, 18.4 ppg), rebounding (7.1 rpg) and assists (83), Lesko contributed 44 steals while shooting 44.5% from the field and 82.9% at the free throw line. She produced three games scoring at least 30 points and totaled double scoring figures in all but one of the 30 Mercy contests in 2025-26.
Named an All-Met Honorable Mention in 2025 when she was the ECC rookie of the year, Lesko, in two seasons of basketball at Mercy, has recorded 865 points for a 14.9 ppg career average.
Having just concluded his eighth season as head coach of the Mavericks, Lagas --- who has been named both MBWA and ECC coach of the year twice (2024, 2026) --- guided Mercy (22-8, 15-1) to a share of its first-ever conference regular season title and into the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second time in three seasons with an at-large invitation. In 2024, his Mavs gained their first NCAA postseason appearance since 1985 and this season’s victory total was the most for Mercy since then.
Lagas, who resides in Floral Park, NY, had success at the high school coaching ranks and then at LIU Post before joining Mercy for the 2018-19 season. He has now surpassed 100 coaching victories with the Mavericks where his overall won-loss record is 101-105.
For a list of previous Women's Division II Awards:
SUMMARY
NEW YORK (April 15, 2026) – The 2025-26 All-Met Division II women’s college basketball team announced Wednesday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.
FIRST TEAM
Nkiru Awaka, Queens • 6-0, Jr., F, Hyde Park, NY
Ciara Collins, Pace • 5-10, Sr., F, Bristol, CT
Lucy Coogan, Caldwell • 6-0, Sr., G/F, Kilkenny, Ireland
Stephanie Formby, Felician • 6-1, So., C/F, Strathalbyn, Australia
Grace Lesko, Mercy • 6-0, Jr., F, Northampton, PA
Colleen McCullagh, Molloy • 6-2, Sr., F, New Hyde Park, NY
Ane Valle, Felician • 5-11, Jr., F, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
SECOND TEAM
Amani Abuhatab, Mercy • 5-6, Jr., G, West Haven, CT
Angelina Barrera, Mercy • 6-0, Sr., F, Gloucester City, NJ 
Imani Gillette, Georgian Court • 6-1, Sr., F/C, Pine Hill, NJ
Cayla Howard, Dominican • 5-9, Sr., G, Naugatuck, CT
Jah’Nel Lewis, Caldwell • 5-3, Jr., G, Jersey City, NJ
Kyra Rose, Staten Island • 5-9, Sr., G, Jersey City, NJ
Sophia Yearwood, Molloy • 5-11, Sr., G, Northport, NY
HONORABLE MENTION
Bailey Chapman, St. Thomas Aquinas; Shonyae Edmonds, Staten Island; Rosa Rizzitelli, Molloy
Player of the Year: Grace Lesko, Mercy • Lesko Highlight Video
Coach of the Year: Scott Lagas, Mercy
--- www.metbasketballwriters.org ---