BETHLEHEM, Pa. - As they continue their undefeated streak to start the 2024-25 season, the 5-0 Navy Midshipmen were honored with a pair of Patriot League women's basketball weekly awards. Headlining the conference's announcement on Monday afternoon were Zanai Barnett-Gay (So., Glenn Dale, Md.) and Mary Gibbons (Fr., Holden, Mass.), who were selected as the Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Week, respectively for their efforts in Navy's 3-0 run of play versus Iona, Wagner and Radford. Additionally, Barnett-Gay was chosen as the NAAA Athlete of the Week presented by Northrop Grumman. 

Barnett-Gay continues to pace the Mids as she led Navy with team-best totals of points, rebounds, assists and steals. The sophomore guard began her week with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds at Iona as Navy knocked off the Gaels, 55-53 on Tuesday. Two days later, she went for 16 points with four rebounds, four assists and three steals as the Mids rolled the Wagner Seahawks at home, 79-46. Barnett-Gay capped her week with a season-high 22 points versus Radford on the strength of a near-perfect 16-of-17 showing at the foul line (fourth-best in Navy's single-game record book) on Sunday; she added a season-best five assists as the Mids won in overtime versus the Highlanders, 78-73. For the week, she averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.7 steals over 31.1 minutes per game.



Gibbons extended the fast start to her collegiate career with two more double-digit scoring efforts off the bench for the Mids during their 3-0 week. After sinking two three-pointers for six points at Iona on Tuesday, she was back at it on Thursday with a career-best 17 points on 7-11 shooting from the floor and a 3-4 mark from three-point range versus Wagner. On Sunday against Radford, Gibbons recorded 13 points with another two three-pointers, including one in overtime as the Mids came from behind for a 78-73 victory. For the week, the shooting guard averaged 12.0 points with 2.3 three-pointers per game, while shooting .462 from the field, .538 from distance and .833 from the foul line.

This is the 10th Patriot League weekly honor for Barnett-Gay in her young career after earning seven rookie nods and two player of the week awards as a freshman. For Gibbons, this is her first career honor, after she finished on the voting honor roll last week.

Off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2017-18, the Navy women's basketball team has a quiet week ahead with no games on the docket until Saturday afternoon when it faces off with Longwood on the road. Tip-off between the Mids and Lancers is set for 1 p.m. in Farmville, Virginia.