MBWA Women's Collegiate Players of the Year

Browse by decade: 1990's 2000's 2010's

 

2025 Faith Masonius, Seton Hall        
 A 6-1 graduate forward from Spring Lake, NJ, Masonius --- a transfer from the University of Maryland who also was named to the All-Big East Conference First Team this past season – provided an immediate impact on the Pirates program during her only year in South Orange.

With her scoring average rising from 6.6 points per game at Maryland to 15.0 at Seton Hall, Masonius led  SHU in scoring while starting all 33 games and averaging 32.7 minutes. She was tops in rebounds with 5.2 rpg, and registered 2.8 assists (91 total) and 1.9 steals (61). She ranked in the top 12 statistically in the Big East in six categories, including ninth in scoring, seventh in field goal percentage (45.6), seventh in steals per game and 12th in rebounding.

During the regular season, Masonius was named USBWA National player of the week once, selected as Big East player of the week twice and five times was named to the conference weekly honor roll. She scored in double figures in 28 games, including seven times with 20+ points. Along with some highly talented teammates, she helped SHU improve from 17-15 (8-10 Big East) last year to 23-10 (13-5) this season along with receiving an invite to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament.

No stranger to the big moment, Masonius hit a game-winning shot with a backwards flip over her head as time expired to defeat host Villanova 56-55 on New Year’s Day.

Prior to Seton Hall, Masonius played four-plus seasons with the Terps, starting as a freshman in 2019-20. She played in 138 games at the UofM, but only the first nine in 2021-22 before sustaining a season-ending injury. Including the 33 games played and 494 points she tallied for the Pirates this past season, Masonius concluded her collegiate career with 171 games played and 1,326 points.

Masonius represents the fourth Pirate and fifth time overall a player from Seton Hall has been named the Met Writers Player of the Year since the association began women’s awards in 1996. She was preceded by: Dana Wynne, 1997; Ka-Deidre Simmons, 2015; Lauren Park-Lane, 2022 and 2023.

One of 10 children in an athletic family, Faith’s parents are T.J. and Ellen Masonius. Her Mom played basketball at Saint Joseph’s and her Dad competed in rugby and lacrosse at Mount St. Mary’s. A graduate of Manasquan (NJ) High School, Masonius exceeded 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during her scholastic tenure.

Check out her season highlight package here: Masonius Highlight Video
 

---

2024 Abbey Hsu, Columbia
Abbey Hsu of Columbia University was selected the All-Met Division I women’s college basketball Player of the Year as announced Tuesday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.

A 5-11 senior guard from Parkland, FL, Hsu --- who also was named the Ivy League player of the year, a WBCA All-America Honorable Mention for the second consecutive season and an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention --- is the second player from Columbia to earn the MBWA’s top women’s Division I accolade, preceded in 2017 by Camille Zimmerman. Hsu is the first Lion to receive two WBCA A-A selections and to earn both the WBCA/AP All-America laurels in the same season.

An All-Met First Team pick in both 2022 and 2023, and a Third Teamer in 2020 (Columbia sat out the 2020-21 season due to the Covid situation), Hsu led the Lions (23-7) to a 13-1 Ivy League mark in 2023-24, a co-share of the league’s regular season title and an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.

She scored a league-best 611 points (No. 21 nationally) this season with an average of 20.4 points per game (No. 1 Ivy, No. 39 NCAA). She pulled down 220 rebounds for 7.3 rpg (No.3 Ivy), and added 62 assists (2.1 apg) and 34 steals (1.1 spg). Her 44.6% overall shooting accuracy was third-best in the Ivy circuit, while she led the league and was 42nd in the nation shooting 38.8% from 3-point range. She was No. 10 nationally with 3.00 treys per game.

Among the many records Hsu set, she is the Ivy’s No. 3 career-leading scorer with 2,126 points, and is No. 1 in the league for both career 3-pointers made (375) and 3-point goals in a single season (112). She ranks No. 1 in Columbia career annals for points scored (2,126), field goals made (751), 3-points goals (375) and career games played/started (123). She also holds a variety of program single game and single season records.  

Check out her season highlight package here https://youtu.be/SJA9v29L4Qc

---

2023 Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall
Lauren Park-Lane of Seton Hall University was selected the All-Met Division I women’s college basketball Player of the Year for a second consecutive season as announced in April by the Met Basketball Writers Association.

A 5-3 senior guard from Wilmington, DE, Park-Lane was named to both the All-Met and Big East Conference First Teams for a third consecutive year. She is just the third back-to-back and fourth two-time Met women’s player of the year since the MBWA inaugurated women’s awards in 1996. She follows in the footsteps of a trio of multiple honorees from Rutgers: Cappie Pondexter, 2003-04-05-06; Shawnetta Stewart, 1999-00; and Tasha Pointer, 1997, 2001.

She also represents the third player from Seton Hall to be selected All-Met Player of the Year. Pirates previously so honored: Dana Wynne, 1997; Ka-Deidre Simmons, 2015.

Park-Lane went on a record-setting tear for her senior season with the Pirates (19-15, 10-10), during which she scored a school-record 686 points (ninth-best in the nation), averaged 20.8 ppg (3rd in Big East, No. 14 in NCAA Division I); had 207 assists (8th in nation), 6.3 per game (2nd Big East, No. 12 NCAA). She also had 40 steals, shot 40.0% from the field, 77.9% at the free throw line, scored in double figures 30 times, 20+ points on 17 occasions and 30+ points in seven games.

On Feb. 13 against DePaul, Park-Lane erupted for a career-high 39 points to set The Hall’s single-game scoring record. In SHU’s first round WNIT victory over Saint Joseph’s, she set the school record for points in a quarter with 19 in the first period and tied the Pirates single-game mark for an NCAA or WNIT game with 30 points overall. She scored 36 points against Creighton in the quarterfinals of the Big East Tournament, a program record for points in a game in that event.

For her collegiate career, Park-Lane is Seton Hall’s all-time leader in assists with 698 and is No. 2 on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,905 points, trailing only Tabatha Richardson-Smith’s 1,925 (2012-13 to 2015-16).   

Check out her season highlight package here https://youtu.be/P_Ve94I9s-I

---

2022 Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall

A 5-6 junior point-guard from Wilmington, DE, Lauren Park-Lane of Seton Hall University --- who also was named to both the MBWA All-Met and the All-Big East Conference First Teams --- represents the third player from Seton Hall to be selected All-Met Player of the Year since the Met Writers inaugurated women’s awards in 1996. Pirates previously so honored: Dana Wynne, 1997; Ka-Deidre Simmons, 2015.

 
A workhorse on the court (38.6 minutes per game, No. 1 in the nation), Park-Lane was among the leaders in numerous team, conference and NCAA statistical categories in helping to lead the Pirates (24-13, 12-8) all the way to the championship game of the postseason WNIT.
 
She averaged 18.3 points per game (third in the BEC, No. 50 in the nation), 1.6 steals (sixth in the BEC), 41.2% (202-of-490) shooting from the field, 39.2% (73-186) from 3-point range (fourth in the BEC) and 84.7% (155-of-183) at the free throw line (second in the BEC, 44th in the nation).
 
Park-Lane’s 260 assists for the season led both the conference and all of Division I; her 7.0 assists per game were tops in the Big East and No. 4 in the nation. She registered 18 assists in a game against Butler, equaling the conference mark while setting a new program standard. Her 260 SHU record assists exceeds second place by 66. Her 678 points this past season are also a Pirates best.

 
Named to the WNIT All Tournament team, Park-Lane and her teammates defeated FDU, VCU, Drexel, Columbia and Middle Tennessee before losing the championship final on the road at South Dakota State.  

Check out her season highlight package here https://youtu.be/BnB_M9pShGg

---

2021 Arella Guirantes, Rutgers

 Arella Guirantes of Rutgers University has been named All-Met Division I women's college basketball Player of the Year for 2020-21 as announced Monday by the Met Basketball Writers Association.

Guirantes represents the ninth player and 13th time a Scarlet Knight has been named Player of the Year since the Met Writers inaugurated women's awards in 1996. The last player from Rutgers so honored was Tyler Scaife in 2018.

A 5-11 senior guard from Bellport, NY, Guirantes --- who was named to the All-Big Ten first team and an Associated Press All-America honorable mention --- led the Scarlet Knights (14-5) and was third in the conference with 21.3 points per game (No. 17 in the nation).

Guirantes also posted an average of 6.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, the only player in the Big Ten to average in the top 5 in points, assists, steals and blocks. She shot 41.6% (137-320) from the field, 37.8% (31-82) from 3-point range and 86.8% (99-114) at the free throw line.

Guirantes recorded a triple-double (17 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) in a Dec. 23 homecourt victory over Manhattan, one of only 15 triple-doubles nationally this past season and just the third ever at Rutgers. In a 69-66 NCAA Tournament loss to BYU, she registered 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting.

Other former MBWA Players of the Year from Rutgers, in addition to Guirantes and Scaife: Epiphanny Prince, 2008; Kia Vaughn, 2007; Cappie Pondexter, 2003-04-05-06; Tasha Pointer, 1998 (co-winner) and 2001; Shawnetta Stewart, 1999-2000; Tomura Young, 1998 (co-winner).

Check out her season highlight package here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygOwivvSf_Y.

---

2020 Stella Johnson, Rider

Stella Johnson of Rider University was named the All-Met Division I Women's Player of the Year for 2019-20 by the Met Basketball Writers Association.

 

---

2017 Camille Zimmerman, Columbia  

---

2016 Kelsey Minato, Army West Point

Kelsey Minato of Army West Point was named the 2015-16 All-Met Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association. She was presented the award by her head coach Dave Magarity, the Coach of the Year, at the 2016 Haggerty Awards dinner on Wednesday, April 12, at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY.

Among her many accolades, Minato was named an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention --- the first A-A honor in the 39-year history of West Point's women's program --- as well as the Patriot League Player of the Year for a third straight season.

Minato was also an All-Patriot First Team honporee for a fourth consecutive season, two-time WBCA All-Region I First Team and all All-Met First Team for a third straight year.

A 5-foot-8 senior guard from Huntington Beach, CA, Minato averaged a school- and Patriot-record 23.2 ppg (seventh-best in the nation) while scoring 743 points durinbg the 2015-16 campaign. She also had 118 assists, 55 steals and 4.7 rpg, shooting 47.8% both from 3-point range and overall from the field, while nailing 87.3% of her free throws.

Minato finished her career with a Patriot League and Army school-record 2,556 points, placing her fourth on the all-time Met area women's scoring list, trailing only Carol Blazejowski of Montclair State (3,199 points), Sue Wicks of Rutgers (2,655) and Damika Martinez of Iona (2,581).

Video of her award ceremony courtesy of Ken Kraetzer:
youtube.com/watch?v=vOylmsxb0-A  

---

2015 Ka-Deidre Simmons, Seton Hall

---

  2014 Damika Martinez, Iona

Damika Martinez of Iona was named the 2013-14 All Met Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association. Martinez and her peers were honored Tuesday evening, April 22, at the 81st NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY.

A 5-7 junior guard from Meriden, CT, and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferenc (MAAC) Player of the Year, Martinez led the Gaels and the conference in scoring for a third consecutive season and was eighth in the nation with 24.5 ppg.

Averaging 4.8 rpg with 74 assists and 43 steals, Martinez set single-season school marks for points (771) and 3-point field goals (107).

She became Iona's all-time leader in 3-pointers (235) and ranks second in program history with 1,866 career points, just 26 shy of No. 1.

---

2013 Nadirah McKenith, St. John's

Nadirah McKenith of St. John's was named the 2012-13 All Met Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association. The All-Met teams were honored April 15 at the 80th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, NY.

A 5-foot-7 senior guard from Newark, NJ, McKenith averaged 13.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists (No. 30 nationally) per game. She compiled 165 assists and a career-high 30 blocks, and led the Big East with 6.1 assists in conference play.

McKenith finished as the Red Storm's career assists leader (605, seventh-best among current players in any division).

She also led her fellow point guards during conference action with a 2.0 mark in assist/turnover ratio. McKenith also tied for third overall in rebounds per game among her teammates with 5.1 per game.

McKenith led St. John's in scoring eight times over the course of the season, including a 22-point performance in the Red Storm's 96-90 double-overtime loss to Dayton in the NCAA Tournament.

She finished as the leading rebounder four times and scored 20-plus points five times. St. John's was 4-0 during the regular season when McKenith scored 20-plus points.

---

2012 Shenneika Smith, St. John's

St. John's junior Shenneika Smith was named the 2011-12 All Met Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association on April 25 at the 79th annual NIT/MBWA Awards Dinner, held at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY.

It marked Smith's first time on the All-Met First Team after being named to the Second Team for the pfrevious two years. She is the second St. John's player in the past three years to earn the All-Met Player of the Year award, as Da'Sheena Stevens earned the honor in 2010.

A 6-1 junior guard from Brooklyn, NY, Smith led the Red Storm with 12.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 40 blocks. An All-Big East First Team selection, she hit a game-winning three-pointer to end Connecticut's 99-game winning streak and scored a season-best 24 points in the Big East Quarterfinals against Louisville.

Smith finished the campaign with 1,242 career points, 12th on the school's all-time list.
   

---

  2011 Erica Allenspach, Marist

Erica Allenspach of Marist was named the 2010-11 Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association.

Allenspach was handed the award by her head coach Brian Giorgis, who was named Coach of the Year, at the Haggerty Awards dinner on Tuesday, April 26, at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY.

Allenspach is the second Red Fox to be named Met Player of the Year in program history; Rachele Fitz also earned the honor in 2009.

This season, Allenspach was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year as well as the conference tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

The senior averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting MAAC-bests .502 from the floor and .838 from the free-throw line while also hitting her three-pointers at a .414 clip.

A Second Team All-Met in 2010, Allenspach finished her Marist career ranked among the top 10 in eight statistical categories.

---

  2010 Da'Sheena Stevens, St. John's

Sophomore forward Da'Shena Stevens of St. John's was honored as the 2009-10 All-Met Division I Women's Player of the Year on by the Met Basketball Writers Association. The All-Met teams were honored April 19 at the 77th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner, which was held at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY, for the first time.

Stevens led the Red Storm in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.3 and 7.6, respectively. Finishing the year ranked seventh in scoring and ninth in rebounding among all players in the Big East, Stevens posted a team-high 25 double-digit scoring games, six 20-point performances and six double-doubles.

For her efforts, Stevns was named First Team All-Big East, a WBCA Region I All-American and an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American.

A native of Stamford, CT, Stevens had two of her best games of the year against top-ranked teams. She scored a team-high 25 points and grabbed 11 boards against then-No. 4/4 North Carolina on Dec. 6. In the 76-71 upset win over then-No. 4/3 Notre Dame on Feb. 16, Stevens recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 boards.

In addition to her personal accomplishments, Stevens helped lead the Red Storm to a 25-7 record and the school's first of five-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

---

  2009 Rachele Fitz, Marist

Rachele Fitz of Marist was named the All-Met Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association for the 2008-09 season.

The NIT/MBWA awards dinner was held on April 15, at the Giants Stadium Club in East Rutherford, NJ.

Fitz (Seven Hills, Ohio), became Marist's all-time leading scorer in her junior season with 1,844 points. She led the Red Foxes in scoring with 20.5 points per game, rebounds with 9.3 per game, and field goal percentage at 59.8%.

Fitz was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's (MAAC) Player of the Year for the second straight time and was named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press.

Fitz also earned accolades on the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District First Team and Third Team Academic All-American. She was a three-time MAAC Player of the Week and the MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

(note: as a senior, Fitz started all 33 games, establishing a new Marist record for career games played with 129. She became the first Marist player to reach 2,000 career points after scoring 25 against Oklahoma on Dec. 9, and broke the program's career record for rebounds with her 889th, pulled down against Niagara on Jan. 5.  

---

  2008 Epiphanny Prince, Rutgers

At the 75th annual MIT/MBWA Collegiate Awards, Epiphanny Prince of Rutgers was named the 2013-14 Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association. The awards dinner was held on Thursday, April 17, at the Giants Stadium Club in East Rutherford, NJ.

It marked the sixth-straight season, and the 11th time in the last 12 years, that the All-Met Player of the Year was from Rutgers.

Prince, a 5-9 sophomore guard, led the Scarlet Knights (27-7) with 13.8 points per game to go along with 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.5 steals per contest.

She was tabbed to the Associated Press All-America Third Team and was voted a First Team All-Big East honoree.

In addition, Prince was named the Most Improved Player by the league's coaches as Rutgers advanced to the school's fourth-straight NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

 

---

  2007 Kia Vaughn, Rutgers

Kia Vaughn of Rutgers was named the 2006-07 All Met Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association, following the Scarlet Knights' (27-9) first-ever appearance in the NCAA title game. Vaughn and her peers were honored on Tueday, April 10, at the Giants Stadium Club in East Rutherford, NJ.

Vaughn finished the year averaging 12.8 points per game to go along with 9.3 boards per contest, which ranked her third in the Big East and 41st nationally.

She blocked 92 shots during the season, the second-best single-season mark in Scarlet Knight history, while her average of 2.6 blocks per game also ranked 17th in the country.

Rutgers won the school's first and only Big East regular-season and Tournament Championship in 2007, beating perennial favorite UConn in the final.

The 6-4 sophomore center had a great game in the National Championship tilt against Tennessee with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Born in the Bronx, the St. Michael Academy product finished her RU career with 15 double-doubles, 12 during the 2006-07 season.

She was also named a WBCA All-American during her time in Piscataway and was drafted by her local New York Liberty in the WNBA in 2009, earning many accolades during her long professional career.  

---

  2006 Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers

Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers capped off a remarkable collegiate career as one of the best to grace the hardwood of the RAC, winning her fourth-consecutive Met Basketball Writers Association Division I Women's Player of the Year honor. Pondexter is the only four-time winner amongst all six divisions of the MBWA .

The NIT/MBWA awards dinner was held on April 19, at the Giants Stadium Club in East Rutherford, NJ.

A unaniomous Big East Player of the Year selection, Pondexter was also a First Team Kodak/WBCA All-American and was the 2006 Women's Basketball News Service National Player of the Year.

Pondexter's list of honors collected as a Scarlet Knight are long and distinguished. During her career, the Chicago native averaged 18.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 121 games played. Her name is scattered all across the Rutgers record book, including ranking second in all-time scoring (2,211, 14th on the All-Met list), first in three-point field goal percentage (.426), sixth in assists (470), and as one of three Scarlet Knights to pour in 40 or more points in a game.

As a senior, Pondexter was named a finalist for all three major national player-of-the-year awards (State Farm Wade Trophy, Naismith, and Women's Wooden Award), the Bayer Advantage Senior CLASS Award and the Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard) with a 21.6 scoring average. Her performance helped lead the Scarlet Knights (27-5) to the NCAA Sweet 16.

The highest WNBA draft pick in school history, taken second by the Phoenix Mercury in 2006, Pondexter's career continued to shine following her days at Rutgers. Before retiring in 2018, she became a two-time WNBA champion (Phoenix Mercury 2007, 2009), a seven-time All-Star and was named one of the 20 greatest players in the 20-year history of the league. Pondexter became the seventh player in WNBA history to score more than 6,000 career points.

In addition to Pondexter's exceptional WNBA accolades, she left Rutgers as the fourth all-time leading scorer in Big East history (6811) and was voted as one of the top 15 players of all-time by the fans, scoring over 500 points in each of her four seasons at RU.

 

---

2005 Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers

Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers earned the Met Division I Women's Player of the Year award for an unprecedented third consecutive season (2003, 2004, 2005), as voted by the Met Basketball Writers Association.

The 2005 NIT/MBWA Awards dinner was held on Wednesday, April 20, at the Meadowlands' Pegaus West in East Rutherford, NJ.

Pondexter, a 5-9 guard, averaged 14.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 27 games. She was named an All-American by the Associated Press (Third Team), Full Court Press (Third Team) and Kodak/WBCA (Honorable Mention).

Pondexter was selected as the NCAA Tournament Philadelphia Regional's Most Outstanding Performer after averaging a tourney-best 24.0 points per game as the Scarlet Knights returned to the Big Dance, winning their way into the Elite Eight.

A candidate for three National Player-of-the-Year awards (Naismith, State Farm Wade Trophy and Wooden Women's Award) as well as the Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard), Pondexter was also named to the All-Big East First Team for the third consecutive season.
 

---

2004 Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers

A 5-9 dynamo guard, Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers became the Scarlet Knights' third two-time Division I Women's Player of the Year, as announced by the Met Basketball Writers Association on Wednesday, April 21, at the Meadowlands' Pegasus West in East Rutherford, NJ.

Pondexter, a Chicago native and graduate of John Marshall High School, averaged 17.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, earning All-Big East First Team honors for her efforts.

It was a year of transition over in Piscataway, as Head Coach C. Vivian Stringer's squad took a 10-6 mark during the Big East regular season all the way into the Big East Tournament final, before bowing out to Boston College in the championship game.

(note: In addition to going on to win All-Met accolades in each of her four years, Pondexter also became the first league player to be named to the All-Big East First Team four times.)



    
 

---

2003 Cappie Pondexter, Rutgers

Cappie Pondexter of Rutgers had one of the most remarkable freshman seasons in earning the 2002-03 Met Basketball Writers Association Division I Women's Player of the Year award.

The 70th annual NIT/MBWA Awards were held on Wednesday, April 30, at the Meadowlands' Pegaus West in East Rutherford, NJ.

As a first-year player, Pondexter, who was born in Oceanside, CA, but raised in Chicago, averaged 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists to lead the Scarlet Knights to a 21-7 mark and a return to the NCAA Tournament (round of 32) after missing the event the previous season.

Pondexter was a 2001 graduate of prolific John Marshall High School in Chicago, but sat out the 2001-02 season before making a splash the following year.

(note: In addition to going on to win All-Met accolades in each of her four years, Pondexter also became the first league player to be named to the All-Big East First Team four times.)

---

2002 Felicia Harris, Saint Peter's

Felicia Harris of Saint Peter's was selected as the 2001-02 Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association. She received the award at the 69th NIT/MBWA Collegiate Awards dinner at the Meadowlands' Pegaus West in East Rutherford, NJ, on Wednesday, April 24.

Harris, a 5-11 senior forward, graduated from Saint Peter's in 2002 as one of the all-time great players under Hall of Fame head coach Mike Granelli. Harris led Saint Peter's to three Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances from 1998-2002, while garnering MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors in 2002 and All-Tournament Team honors in 2001 and 2002.

Harris concluded her carer with the Peacocks ranking top-10 all-time in the program's record book in four statistical categories. She was sixth in career scoring (1,318 points), eighth in career rebounds (732), fourth in career free-throws attempted (541), and seventh in career free-throw percentage (.756), while ranking 17th all-time in career scoring average (11.0).

Harris' best season came during her senior year when she set Saint Peter's single-season top-10 marks in point (510), field goals attempted (410), free-throws made (162), and free-throws attempted (210).

An All-MAAC First Team selection in 2002, Harris also claimed spots on the MAAC All-Rookie Team (1998-99) and MAAC All-Academic Team (2001-02). She was selected to the Saint Peter's University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.

---

2001 Tasha Pointer, Rutgers

Rutgers' Tasha Pointer capped off an amazing collegiate career with her second All-Met Division I Women's Player of the Year honor, given by the Met Basketball Writers Association. Pointer, who also earned the distinction as a freshman in 1997-98, was honored on Wednesday, April 18, at the 68th NIT/MBWA Collegiate Awards dinner at the Meadowlands' Pegaus West in East Rutherford, NJ.

As a senior, Pointer led the Scarlet Knights in assists (8.3) and steals (2.2) for the fourth consecutive season, and also led in rebounding (6.0) while placing second in points per game (11.50. She left Rutgers as the school's all time - men's and women's - leader in assists and steals.

Pointer still holds the NCAA Tournament record for assists in a game with 18 against Stephen F. Austin in 2001. She led the Scarlet Knights to unprecedented success in the NCAA Tournament, where they won multiple games in three seasons. Twice they were eliminated by the eventual national champion and once by the eventual runner-up.

Pointer led the team to another major upset in 2001, when she and the Scarlet Knights handed top-ranked Notre Dame their first loss of the season in front of a record crowd at the Louis Brown Athletic Center.

Pointer graduated as the program's eighth leading all-time scorer while posting the top two single-season assist totals. She was drafted by the WNBA's Portland Fire in 2001, and in 2003 she was named to the BIG EAST 25th Anniversary Hall of Fame Team.

---

2000 Shawnetta Stewart, Rutgers

Shawnetta Stewart of Rutgers received her second consecutive All-Met Division I Women's Player of the Year honor from the Met Basketball Writers Association at the 67th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Meadowlands' Pegasus West in East Rutherford, NJ on Thursday, April 27.

With back-to-back MBWA honors in hand, Stewart, a 5-10 senior powerhouse, is one of the most prolific players in Rutgers basketball history, leading the Scarlet Knights to the school's first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance. In addition, Stewart was named an Honorable Mention Associated Press All-American and was chosen the NCAA Tournament West Region Most Valuable Player.

In her final season, Stewart led the team in scoring (14.6 points) and rebounding (6.3) for the 26-8 Scarlet Knights. Over her final two seasons, the Philadelphia, PA, native averaged 14.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game as the Scarlet Knights combined for a 55-14 record.

Stewart compiled 1,346 points and 629 rebounds while also nailing 144 career three pointers and was named All-Big East and All-Tournament for the second time during her senior season, concluding her career as the 10th all-time leading scorer despite playing only three years.

---

1999 Shawnetta Stewart, Rutgers

Junior guard/forward Shawnetta Stewart of Rutgers was named the 1998-99 All Met Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association at the 66th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner on April 21 at the Meadowlands' Pegasus West in East Rutherford, NJ.

Stewart, a Philadelphia, PA, native, led the team in scoring (14.3) and rebounding (7.0) while adding 1.9 steals per game as the Scarlet Knights went 29-6 and to the NCAA Elite Eight for this first time under Hall of Fame Coach C. Vivian Stringer.

Besides the Met honor, Stewart was named All-Big East and selected for the 1999 Big East All-Tournament Team.

Stewart was the first player to commit to C. Vivian Stringer's first recruiting class at Rutgers and was drafted by the WNBA's Orlando Miracle in the third round in 2000.  

---

1998 Tasha Pointer, Rutgers (co-winner)

Rutgers' freshman sensation Tasha Pointer and teammate Tomura Young were named co-winners of the 1997-98 Division I Women's Player of the Year award by the Met Basketball Writers Association.

Marking the only time the MBWA has bestowed co-winners for this prestigious award, Pointer became the first freshman to earn this honor, which was presented on Wednesday, April 29, at the 65th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Meadowlands' Pegasus West in East Rutherford, NJ.

The Chicago native earned a number of accolades during her time at RU, including being named the 1998 Big East Rookie of the Year. The 5-6 guard led the Scarlet Knights in scoring (14.0), assists (5.6) and steals (3.1), and placed second in field goal percentage (.471) and fourth in rebounding (4.2).

Pointer led the team to wins over No. 1 Tennessee and No. 2 UConn in 1998, helping Rutgers become the first unranked team to defeat both a No. 1 and a No. 2 team. When her RU career was done, the point guard had set the program's all-time assists and steals records - men's and women's - with 839 assists and 292 steals, while compliing 1,456 career points.

Pointer was drafted by the WNBA's Portland Fire in 2001, and in 2003 she was named to the BIG EAST 25th Anniversary Hall of Fame Team.

---

1998 Tomura Young, Rutgers (co-winner)

Rutgers' Tomura Young and teammate Tasha Pointer were named the co-winners of the 1997-98 Division I Women's Player of the Year award by the Met Basketball Writers Association.

Marking the only time the MBWA has bestowed co-winners for this prestigious award, Young was presented the honor on Wednesday, April 29, at the 65th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Meadowlands' Pegasus West in East Rutherford, NJ.

Young, a junior guard, helped lead the Scarlet Knights to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths, including a showing in the Elite Eight in 1999 and the Sweet Sixteen in 1998. The Red Bank, NJ, native earned All-Big East honors in three of her four seasons, including becoming RU's first-ever First Team All-Big East award winner.

A 5-10 guard, Young was one of the most efficient three-point shooters to wear the Scarlet. She concluded her career with 1,344 points, knocking down 180 shots from beyond the arc. A Big East All-Tournament honoree in 1998, she helped lead Rutgers to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament that season, setting a single-season record for three-point field goals made (71) and a Scarlet Knight best .901 clip from the free throw line.

---

1997 Dana Wynne, Seton Hall

Senior Dana Wynne of Seton Hall was named the 1996-97 All-Met Division I Women's Player of the Year by the Met Basketball Writers Association on Monday, April 28, at the 64th NIT/MBWA Haggerty Awards dinner at the Giants Stadium Club in East Rutherford, NJ.

A four-time All-Big East honoree and three-time Kodak All-America Honorable Mention, Wynne helped lead Seton Hall to the NCAA Tournament in 1995 following the squad's run to the Sweet Sixteen in 1994.

In 1996, the 6-1 forward led the nation in rebounding with a 12.8 average, helping lead the Pirates to a Big East regular-season title. At the time of her induction to the Seton Hall Hall of Fame, she was the all-time leader in the Big East Conference in rebounds (1,265).

Wynne was also fourth all-time at The Hall in points (1,622), first in free throws made (391) and third in blocked shots (138).

Wynne went on to enjoy a successful pro career first for the Colorado Xplosion, then the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs and then overseas.

---

  1996 Gina Somma, Manhattan

On Monday evening, April 22, at the 63rd annual NIT/MBWA Collegiate Awards, Gina Somma of Manhattan became the inaugural Met Basketball Writers Association Division I Women's Player of the Year.

The annual dinner was held at the Giants Stadium Club in East Rutherford, NJ.

Somma, a 6-0 senior forward for the Jaspers, capped off a tremendous career for the women's basketball program by being named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year and Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American.

She finished third in the nation in scoring (25.6 ppg) and led the Jaspers to the MAAC title and an NCAA Tournament berth.

Somma graduated having scored 1,838 points and grabbing 819 rebounds, which ranked her third and fifth, respectively, on Manhattan's all-time list. She was named Second Team All-MAAC as a sophomore and junior, and paced the team in scoring, steals, and blocks three times, while leading the team in rebounding all four years.