BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Navy women's basketball's talented freshmen backcourt dominated the Patriot League regular season awards announcement on Friday as Zanai Barnett-Gay picked up four awards, highlighted by a nod as the 2023-24 Patriot League Rookie of the Year. A standout for the Mids from day one, Barnett-Gay was also named to the All-Patriot League First Team, All-Patriot League Defensive Team and All-Patriot League Rookie Team. She was joined on the Patriot League All-Rookie Team by Kyah Smith as Navy players grabbed two of the exclusive five spots.

An impactful player from her first collegiate game, in which she went for 18 points, 11 rebounds and five steals, Barnett-Gay started fast and never slowed down during her debut campaign as she's re-written the Navy women's basketball record book and found herself among the nation's best for first-year collegiate players. Appearing in and starting 28 games for the Mids in 2023-24, Barnett-Gay has scored a freshman program-record 512 points for an 18.3 points per game average that is currently tied for 49th-best in the NCAA DI and tied for fourth in the category of freshmen-only DI players. The Glenn Dale, Maryland native trails just JuJu Watkins of USC (27.4 ppg), Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame (23.8 ppg), Raegan McCowan of Western Illinois (19.4 ppg) and is tied with Audi Crooks of Iowa State (18.3 ppg). A consistent scorer, Barnett-Gay has led the Mids in scoring in 21 different games and tallied double-digits in all 28 games with 12 appearances going for 20 or more points, including a career-best 29 versus Binghamton on Nov. 21. She closed the regular season on a three-game run of 23-point games. In Navy's single-season record book for all classes, the plebe guard ranks fifth and is just 18 points shy of second place all-time, Courtney Davidson with 530 in 2002-03. She is the first Patriot League Rookie of the Year for Navy since Jade Geif in 2011 and sixth in program history.

Strong on the defensive end, as well, Barnett-Gay led all Patriot League players with 3.0 steals per game. That mark is tied for 13th overall in all of NCAA Division I this season. She's swiped at least one steal in 27 of her 28 games and has recorded four or more steals 12 times, with a season-high of six coming against Wagner on Nov. 30. Barnett-Gay is the seventh Midshipmen in program history to earn a spot on the All-PL Defensive Team.

For her all-around game, Barnett-Gay became the first-ever Navy freshman player to garner an All-Patriot League First Team spot. Besides leading the conference in steals, she finished the regular season ranked second in scoring average, sixth in rebounds (6.4 rpg) and seventh in assists (3.0 apg) over 34.8 minutes per game (third in PL). Barnett-Gay's consistency was rewarded with a conference-high seven Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors, including a pair of combined sweeps of the Player and Rookie of the Week awards. Her seven honors set a new Navy single-season program record and ranked second all-time in the history of the Patriot League.

Kyah Smith joined Barnett-Gay as Navy grabbed 40 percent of the positions on the 2023-24 Patriot League All-Rookie Team. In Navy's 31 years as a member of the Patriot League, the Midshipmen have only had that happen three previous times, most recently in 2000-01 with Courtney Davidson and Maile Shimoda. Appearing in all 29 games with 20 starts, Smith began her season strong as a member of the Mids' starting lineup and increased her effectiveness in Patriot League play as she improved from scoring 11.4 points and 3.2 assists over 32.4 minutes per non-conference game to 13.8 points and 3.5 assists over 32.8 minutes per league contest. The Richmond, Virginia native was selected as the Patriot League Rookie of the Week on January 15 after averaging 14.5 points over a two-game stretch versus Holy Cross and Lafayette. Conference-wide, Smith ranked ninth in scoring with 12.9 points per game, eighth in three-pointers per game (1.5), fourth in assists per game (3.4) and seventh in minutes per game (32.7).

The Navy women's basketball team will look to continue one of America's best turnaround stories this Saturday with first round action in the 2024 Patriot League Tournament. Improving its win total by 12 games from 2022-23, and currently on a league-best three-game undefeated streak, the seventh-seeded Mids will host the tenth-seeded Lafayette Leopards. Tip-off at Alumni Hall is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.
 

2023-24 Women's Basketball All-Patriot League Teams and Major Awards
Player of the Year: Caitlin Weimar, Boston University, Sr., F
Defensive Player of the Year: Caitlin Weimar, Boston University, Sr., F
Rookie of the Year: Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Fr., G
Coach of the Year: Danielle O'Banion, Loyola Maryland
 
First-Team All-Patriot League
Caitlin Weimar, Boston University, Sr., F
Alex Giannaros, Boston University, Jr., G
Bronagh Power-Cassidy, Holy Cross, Sr., G
Lex Therien, Loyola Maryland, Jr., F
Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Fr., G
 
Second-Team All-Patriot League*
Emily Johns, American, Sr., F
Trinity Hardy, Army West Point, Jr., G
Emma Theodorsson, Bucknell, So., G
Alexa Brodie, Colgate, Gr., G
Taylor Golembiewski, Colgate, Jr., G
Makayla Andrews, Lafayette, Sr., G

Third-Team All-Patriot League
Ashley Sofilkanich, Bucknell, Fr., F/C
Janelle Allen, Holy Cross, Sr., F
Cara McCormack, Holy Cross, Sr., G
Abby Antognoli, Lafayette, Jr., G
Maddie Albrecht, Lehigh, Sr., G

Patriot League All-Defensive Team
Ivy Bales, American, Sr., G
Caitlin Weimar, Boston University, Sr., F
Ashley Sofilkanich, Bucknell, Fr., F/C
Alexa Brodie, Colgate, Gr., G
Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Fr., G

Patriot League All-Rookie Team
Fiona Hastick, Army West Point, Fr., G/F
Ashley Sofilkanich, Bucknell, Fy., F/C
Kimmie Hicks, Loyola Maryland, Fr., G/F
Zanai Barnett-Gay, Navy, Fr., G
Kyah Smith, Navy, Fr., G

* Due to a tie in voting there are six players on the second team.