PITMAN, NJ --- New Jersey City University senior Damaris Rodriguez (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus), Ramapo College junior Jackie Ventricelli (Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial), and Kean University freshman Gigi Gamble (Somerset, NJ/Life Center Academy) have been named as the 2023-24 NJAC Women’s Basketball major award winners. Rodriguez repeats as Player of the Year; Ventricelli repeats as Defensive Player of the Year; and Gamble was tabbed Rookie of the Year.
 
Their accolades highlight the 17-member NJAC Women’s Basketball All-Conference Team and were selected based on a vote of the league’s head coaches. Conference-only performances were considered in voting.
 
In addition to earning back-to-back Player of the Year honors, Rodriguez is now a four-time NJAC All-Conference First Team honoree. She led NJCU to a 14-4 record in conference play and the #2 seed in the tournament. The four-time Player of the Week finished the regular season ranked first in the NJAC in conference-only assists (5.8 apg) and conference-only assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1). She was the third-leading scorer in conference play, averaging 18.2 per game. She was also ranked fifth in conference-only steals (2.6 spg) and was among the top 10 in made threes per game (1.9) and field goal percentage (38.1%). Rodriguez posted 10 or more points in all but two NJAC contests and hit the 20-point mark on eight occasions. She registered five double-doubles, four in the nontraditional sense with 10+ points and 10+ assists. She is up to 1,843 points for her career.
 
Ventricelli earned back-to-back NJAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league in steals in NJAC play, snagging 3.5 per game. The senior guard was typically tasked with guarding opponents’ top scorers. She contributed on both ends of the court, averaging 15.2 points per game in conference action to rank as the seventh-highest scorer. Many of her points came from long range, as she made the second-highest amount of threes per game (2.5). She also ranked fifth in conference-only 3-point percentage (36.3%) and seventh in conference-only field goal percentage (42.2%). Ventricelli also added 2.2 assists per game to fill out a well-rounded stat sheet.
 
Gamble exploded on to the NJAC basketball scene this year and quickly cemented herself as one of the top players in the conference. She was named NJAC Rookie of the Week an unprecedented nine times and earned Week 14 Player of the Week accolades. Gamble led the NJAC in conference-only scoring (20.3 ppg), field goal percentage (48.5%), 3-point percentage (42.2%), and free throw percentage (89.1%). She ranked second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9), and third in assists (4.1 apg), steals (2.6 spg), and made threes per game (2.4). Gamble scored in double figures in all but two conference games, hitting the 20-point mark on 12 occasions and exploding for 30 or more three times.
 
TCNJ head coach Chessie Jackson and assistant Carly Rice were tapped as the NJAC Coaching Staff of the Year. Their squad finished atop the NJAC regular season after a 14-4 mark in conference play and earned the top seed in the NJAC Tournament. They mentored three all-conference players this season. In her seven seasons in Ewing, Jackson has overseen an 83-33 record against conference opponents.
 

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FIRST TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Gigi Gamble	Kean	FR	G	Somerset, NJ/Life Center Academy
Damaris Rodriguez*%&	NJCU	SR	G	Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus
Julia Setaro^#@	TCNJ	GR	G	Tinton Falls, NJ/Red Bank Catholic
Brianna Smith^	William Paterson	SR	G	Hillsdale, NJ/Pascack Valley
Jada Thompson~#	Ramapo	SR	G	Sicklerville, NJ/Hammonton
SECOND TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Rahzirah Blocker	Rutgers-Camden	SR	F	Clayton, NJ/Clayton
Nina Branchizio~	TCNJ	JR	G	Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township
Brittany Graff#	Kean	SR	G	Elmwood Park, NJ/Immaculate Heart
Samiyah Horton$!	Rutgers-Newark	SR	G	Newark, NJ/Newark Tech
Jackie Ventricelli*	Ramapo	SR	G	Sayreville, NJ/Sayreville War Memorial
HONORABLE MENTION
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Dayjah Anderson&<	NJCU	SR	F	East Orange, NJ/Newark Tech
Kate Herlihy	Rowan	JR	G	Dennisville, NJ/Middle Township
Grace Kowalski	TCNJ	FR	G	Montville, NJ/Montville Township
Nicole Mallard^%+	Rowan	SR	G	Washington, NJ/Warren Hills
Emma Morrone	Stockton	SR	G	Maywood, NJ/Hackensack
Grace Speer	Stockton	SO	F	Estell Manor, NJ/ACIT
Renee Wells	William Paterson	SO	F	Leonardo, NJ/Middletown South

 
 
KEY:

* - First Team All-Conference 2022-23
^ - Second Team All-Conference 2022-23
~ - Honorable Mention 2022-23
% - First Team All-Conference 2021-22
# - Second Team All-Conference 2021-22
$ - Honorable Mention 2021-22
& - First Team All-Conference 2020-21
@ - Second Team All-Conference 2020-21
! - Honorable Mention 2020-21
+ - Second Team All-Conference 2019-20
< - Honorable Mention 2019-20