BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Navy swept the postseason major awards for the first time since 2013 when the Patriot League office announced women’s basketball postseason honors, presented by PenFed Credit Union, on Friday.

Navy junior guard Zanai Barnett-Gay was named Patriot League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after ranking among the League’s top three in points per game (16.5), rebounds per game (8.3) and assists per game (4.1). Barnett-Gay also led the League with 2.8 steals per game.

Teammate Zoe Mesuch earned Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors. The freshman guard averaged 13.0 points per game and ranked second in the League with 69 three-pointers, helping the Mids to a 16-2 League record and the regular-season title.

Navy, led by head coach Tim Taylor, was named Patriot League Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding the Mids to a 16-2 League record and their first outright regular-season title since 2013-14. Taylor is the first Navy coach to earn the award since 2014.

The Patriot League major awards and All-League teams are presented by PenFed Credit Union. They were voted on by Patriot League women’s basketball head coaches, who could not vote for their student-athletes or themselves.

2025-26 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball Player and Defensive Player of the Year
Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Jr., G, Glenn Dale, Md./ Riverdale Baptist School
2025-26 Stats: 28 GP,  16.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.1 apg, 2.8 spg, .424 FG pct.
*Barnett-Gay, a three-time first-team All-Patriot League honoree, ranked second in the League in scoring (16.5 ppg), third in rebounding (8.3 rpg) and tied for first in assists (4.1 apg) while leading the Mids to the regular-season title.
*The junior led the League in steals (77) and steals per game (2.8 spg) for the second consecutive season en route to her second Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honor.
*Barnett-Gay becomes the third player to earn back-to-back Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year honors, joining Angela Myers (Navy, 2009, 2010) and Caitlin Weimar (Boston University, 2023, 2024).

2025-26 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year
Zoe Mesuch, Navy, Fr., G, Clintondale, N.Y./Wallkill
2025-26 Stats: 28 GP, 13.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.8 apg, 69 3PM, .356 3FG pct.
*Mesuch earned Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 13.0 ppg and making 69 3PM, both leading all League rookies, while helping the Mids claim the regular-season title.
*The six-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week selection helped pace Navy’s offense, averaging 14.0 ppg and 2.4 3PM while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range.
*The Clintondale, N.Y., native scored in double figures in 21 of the Mids’ 28 games this season.
*Mesuch is the third consecutive Navy guard to win Patriot League Rookie of the Year, joining teammates Zanai Barnett-Gay (2023) and Julianna Almeida (2024).
  
2025-26 PenFed Credit Union Patriot League Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff of the Year
Navy Midshipmen – Head Coach: Tim Taylor; Assistant Coaches – Marlena Tremba, Mac Campbell, Faith Randolph, Sam Brunelle and Daniel Villarreal
*Navy head coach Tim Taylor and his staff led the Midshipmen to their first outright regular-season title since 2014. The Mids’ 21 regular-season wins are their most since the 2017-18 season.
*The Mids lead the League in scoring offense (69.8 ppg), are tied for first in scoring margin (+10.3) and rank first in rebounding (39.1 rpg) and offensive rebounding (12.1 orpg).
*Taylor is the first Navy head coach to earn the award since Stefanie Pemper in 2014.

2025-26 All-Patriot League Teams
Army West Point and Navy each placed three student-athletes on the All-Patriot League teams. Holy Cross and Lehigh each had two selections, while American, Boston University, Bucknell, Colgate, Lafayette and Loyola Maryland each placed one.

Four of the 16 All-League honorees are multi-year selections. Barnett-Gay is a three-time first-team selection and is joined by Loyola Maryland graduate forward Lex Therien as a three-time All-League honoree. Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan and Army West Point senior guard Reese Ericson are both two-time selections.

Barnett-Gay is joined on the first team by Therien (15.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg), Holy Cross senior forward Meg Cahalan (15.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg), Patriot League scoring leader Lehigh senior forward Lily Fandre (16.6 ppg) and Army West Point junior guard Camryn Tade (13.0 ppg, 4.1 rpg).

Mesuch is joined on the second team by Boston University senior forward Anete Adler (14.5 ppg, 1.7 bpg), Army West Point junior forward Kya Smith (13.3 ppg, 9.9 rpg), Holy Cross senior guard Kaitlyn Flanagan (8.9 ppg, 4.0 apg) and Lafayette junior guard Teresa Kiewiet (16.3 ppg).

The League’s top 3-point shooter highlights the third team as Army West Point senior guard Reese Ericson (11.3 ppg, 88 3PM) is joined by American freshman forward Charlotte Tuhy (11.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg), Bucknell junior forward Tuana Coskun (13.0 ppg), Colgate junior guard Ella Meabon (14.2 ppg), Lehigh junior forward Whitney Lind (14.0 ppg) and Navy sophomore guard Julianna Almeida (10.0 ppg).

On the All-Defensive Team, Barnett-Gay (2.8 spg) is joined by Army West Point’s Tade (1.3 spg) and Smith (1.7 spg), Boston University’s Adler (1.7 bpg) and Holy Cross junior guard Kendall Eddy (2.2 spg).

On the All-Rookie Team, Mesuch is joined by American’s Tuhy (11.6 ppg, 11.2 rpg), Army West Point freshman forward Reganne Reardon (7.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Lafayette freshman guard Haylie Adamski (9.7 ppg, 65 3PM) and Lehigh first-year forward Leia Edwards (13.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg).

Patriot League Women's Basketball Major Awards
Patriot League Player of the Year- Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy
Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year- Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy
Patriot League Rookie of the Year- Zoe Mesuch, Navy
Patriot League Coaching Staff of the Year - Navy, Head Coach Tim Taylor

First Team All-Patriot League
Camryn Tade, Army West Point, Jr., G
Meg Cahalan, Holy Cross, Sr., F
Lily Fandre, Lehigh, Sr., F
Lex Therien, Loyola Maryland, Gr., F
Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Jr., G

Second Team All-Patriot League
Kya Smith, Army West Point, Jr., F
Anete Adler, Boston University, Sr., F
Kaitlyn Flanagan, Holy Cross, Sr., G
Teresa Kiewiet, Lafayette, Jr., G
Zoe Mesuch, Navy, Fr., G

Third Team All Patriot League
Charlotte Tuhy, American, Fr., F
Reese Ericson, Army West Point, Sr., G
Tuana Coskun, Bucknell, Jr., F
Ella Meabon, Colgate, Jr., G
Whitney Lind, Lehigh, Jr., F
Julianna Almeida, Navy, So., G

All-Defensive Team
Camryn Tade, Army West Point, Jr., G
Kya Smith, Army West Point, Jr., F
Anete Adler, Boston University, Sr., F
Kendall Eddy, Holy Cross, Jr., G
Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Jr., G

All-Rookie Team
Charlotte Tuhy, American, Fr., F
Reganne Reardon, Army West Point, Fr., F
Haylie Adamski, Lafayette, Fr., G
Leia Edwards, Lehigh, Fy., F
Zoe Mesuch, Navy, Fr., G

ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education