Player of the Week
Grace Lesko, Mercy
Junior | F | Northampton, Pa.
Lesko averaged a team-high 21.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on 51.7 percent shooting with 2.0 assists per game as Mercy went 1-1 to open the season. The junior opened the season with a career-high-tying 30 points in 40 minutes played on 10-of-14 shooting from the floor to go with a game-high nine rebounds, three assists and one block in the Mavericks' 64-61 upset win over defending East Region Champion #10 Bentley on Saturday. Lesko ended the week with 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal in Mercy's loss to 2025 NCAA Tournament participant Southern Connecticut State on Sunday.
Co-Defensive Players of the Week
Aiyana Ellis, District of Columbia
Graduate Student | F | King George, Va.
Ellis anchored the Firebirds on both ends of the floor during a dominant 2–0 week in which UDC held its opponents to just 36.5 points per game. Ellis was exceptional defensively, averaging 9.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game, while also contributing 11 points per game on efficient shooting. Her presence in the paint, ability to disrupt plays, and consistency on the glass were central to UDC’s defensive success. In the win over Goldey-Beacom, she delivered a commanding performance with game highs of 15 points and 11 rebounds while adding two blocks and a steal in a game-high 38 minutes. Ellis continued her strong play in the win over Wilmington, finishing with eight rebounds, 2 steals, one block, and seven points while shooting an efficient 53.8% from the field across the week.
Claire Pikett, Daemen
Senior | F | Holland, N.Y.
Pikett recorded 15 steals (7.5 per game), logged two blocks, and collected eight rebounds in two Daemen wins over the weekend. The senior posted a career-high eight steals in Daemen's win over Wilmington, also recording a block and grabbing five rebounds. She helped Damen force 47 Wilmington turnovers, holding WU to 46 points. On Saturday, in a win over Goldey-Beacom, Pikett logged seven steals and a block while collecting three rebounds.
Rookie of the Week
Sharmeela Ugbogbo, Molloy
Freshman | C | Bronx, N.Y.
Ugbogbo opened her collegiate career with a double-double against Chestnut Hill, putting up 10 points and pulling down 11 rebounds to go with three blocks. The center followed up with seven points, eight rebounds, and two blocks against Jefferson. For the week, the Molloy freshman averaged 9.5 rebounds and 8.5 points per game, shooting 50.0 percent from the floor.
ECC Weekly Honor Roll
Amani Abuhatab, Mercy
Junior | G | West Haven, Conn.
Abuhatab averaged 16.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game as Mercy went 1-1 to open the season. The junior opened the season with 15 points, four rebounds and one assist in the Mavericks' 64-61 upset win over defending East Region Champion #10 Bentley on Saturday. The guard ended the week with a game-high-tying 17 points to go with five rebounds, two assists and two steals against 2025 NCAA Tournament participant Southern Connecticut State on Sunday.
Bailey Chapman, St. Thomas Aquinas
Redshirt Sophomore | G | Sparta, N.J.
Chapman averaged 10.0 points per game with 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in two season-opening contests last week for STAC. The red-shirt sophomore guard tallied six points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out three assists in 21 minutes against American International before recording a double-double with 14 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and a block in 38 minutes versus Assumption.
Shonyae Edmonds, Staten Island
Junior | F | Albany, N.Y.
Edmonds averaged 14.0 points per game and shot over 63 percent (12-for-19) from the field during the East Region Conference Challenge this past weekend. She opened her season with a 20-point, nine-rebound effort in a CSI victory over Franklin Pierce on Saturday.
Cecelia Lapertosa, Daemen
Senior | F | Whitesboro, N.Y.
Lapertosa averaged 14.5 points (shooting 52.6 percent from the field) and 6.0 rebounds and recorded five steals in two Daemen wins over the weekend. She scored 12 points in the Wildcats' win at Wilmington on Friday, also logging three steals and a block in the contest, while collecting three rebounds. On Saturday, in a win over Goldey-Beacom, Lapertosa posted 17 points (on 6-of-11 shooting), grabbed a game-leading nine rebounds, and recorded two steals with two assists.
Rosa Rizzitelli, Molloy
Senior | G | Derby, Conn.
Rizzitelli averaged a double-double on the week with 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and added 10 assists and three steals. The senior just missed a triple-double to open the season against Chestnut Hill with 22 points, matching a career-high, to go with 11 rebounds and eight assists. She followed it up with a double-double against Jefferson with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Nhaikyia Smith, District of Columbia
Senior | G | Waldorf, Md.
Smith delivered an all-around standout performance this week, helping lead the Firebirds to a 2–0 record. She averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. Her best outing came in the win over Wilmington, where she posted a dominant 21 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, and three assists, controlling the tempo and setting the tone for UDC on both ends.
Daja White, Queens
Junior | G | Queens, N.Y.
White led the Knights offensively, averaging 16.5 points per game, 3.0 assists per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, and 1.0 steals per game in match-ups with Jefferson and Chestnut Hill. In her debut, she scored a team-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting with two rebounds, five assists, and one steal. Against Chestnut Hill, White added 15 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
ECC Women's Basketball Weekly Award Winners
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Grace Lesko, Mercy
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Aiyana Ellis, District of Columbia and Claire Pikett, Daemen
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Nov. 17 - Sharmeela Ugbogbo, Molloy
1. Daemen - 81 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Mercy - 72 points
3. Staten Island - 51 points
4. D'Youville - 49 points
5. St. Thomas Aquinas - 41 points
6. District of Columbia - 37 points
7. Molloy - 36 points
8. Queens - 21 points
9. Roberts Wesleyan - 17 points