PITMAN, NJ --- The College of New Jersey senior Nina Branchizio (Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township) has been named the 2024-25 NJAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year to headline this year’s slate of all-conference honorees.

Additionally, New Jersey City University senior Destiny Battle (East Orange, NJ/STEM) and Kean University senior Maddison Vaughn (Roselle, NJ/Abraham Clark) have been voted Co-Defensive Players of the Year while Montclair State University freshman Alyssa Craigwell (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) earned Rookie of the Year accolades. Montclair State’s coaching staff was also tabbed the NJAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
Their accolades highlight the 15-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.
 
Branchizio, now a three-time NJAC All-Conference honoree, led TCNJ to the NJAC regular season title and top seed in the conference tournament. Branchizio led all NJAC players in -3-point field goals per game (3.5) and was second in 3-point field goal percentage (39.4%). She also ranked sixth in conference-only scoring (13.4 ppg) and tenth in conference-only assists (2.6 apg). She recently broke the Lions’ program records for 3-pointers made in a career and in a single season, accomplishing that in the regular season finale win over Montclair State that gave the Lions the regular season title. Branchizio scored in double figures in all but three NJAC games this year, with a season-high 22 in a win over Kean.
 
Battle made an immediate impact in her first year with the Gothic Knights after transferring from in-state foe Saint Elizabeth. Battle led all NJAC players in conference-only steals (4.1 spg) and was second in conference-only assists (5.4 apg). She was also a top-10 scorer, averaging 13.4 points per game in conference play to rank seventh among all NJAC players. Battle was also efficient at the free throw line, ranking fifth in the NJAC by hitting 74.2 percent of her shots in conference action. Battle dropped in a season-best 20 points on two different occasions and racked up a season-best eight steals also on two different occasions. She recorded a non-traditional double-double in points and assists three times overall, once in conference action.
 
Vaughn had a huge senior season for Kean, stepping into a starting role after averaging five minutes or fewer per game in her first three seasons. She was the only NJAC player this year to average a double-double in conference play as she averaged 13.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Her rebounds number was tops in the NJAC while she ranked fourth in conference-only scoring. She was also number one in the NJAC in conference-only blocked shots (2.4 bpg) and conference-only field goal percentage (48.6%). She posted eight double-doubles in conference play, including a huge 31-point, 17-rebound effort against William Paterson. The 31 points was a career high, and she also set a career high with 18 rebounds against NJCU. Vaughn was a three-time NJAC Player of the Week, including three of the final five weeks of the regular season.
 
Craigwell was one of the key catalysts in a big turnaround for Montclair State this year. The seven-time NJAC Rookie of the Week and one-time Player of the Week ranked second among all NJAC players in conference-only scoring (15.3 ppg), third in conference-only field goal percentage (46.4%), and eighth in conference-only blocked shots. Craigwell scored in double figures in all but three conference games in her first season, with a career-high 30 in the regular season finale against TCNJ. She recorded four double-doubles, twice in conference action.
 
Montclair State head coach Karin Harvey and assistants Katie Sire, Courtney Cunningham Jones, Zach Ammirati, and Dawn Cerrone were tapped as the NJAC Coaching Staff of the Year as they guided the Red Hawks to a huge turnaround this season. After going 9-16 overall and 6-12 in NJAC play in 2023-24, their squad went 15-3 in NJAC play this year to finish second in the regular season standings. The Red Hawks are also currently 21-4 overall and are the highest NJAC team in the NCAA Power Index rankings. The MSU coaching staff mentored three all-conference players this year, including two First Teamers and major award winner in Craigwell.

 

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FIRST TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Sophie Beneventine	Montclair State	GR	G	Basking Ridge, NJ/Ridge
Nina Branchizio~+	TCNJ	SR	G	Monroe, NJ/Monroe Township
Alyssa Craigwell	Montclair State	FR	F	Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus
Kate Herlihy%	Rowan	SR	G	Dennisville, NJ/Middle Township
Maddison Vaughn	Kean	SR	C	Roselle, NJ/Abraham Clark
SECOND TEAM
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Destiny Battle	NJCU	SR	G	East Orange, NJ/STEM
Grace Kowalski%	TCNJ	SO	G	Montville, NJ/Montville Township
Brianna Smith^*	William Paterson	GR	G	Hillsdale, NJ/Pascack Valley
Grace Speer%	Stockton	JR	C	Estell Manor, NJ/ACIT
Olivia Vero	Montclair State	SR	F	Staten Island, NY/Xaverian
HONORABLE MENTION
Name	School	Yr.	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Imene Fathi	Stockton	JR	G	Wildwood, NJ/Wildwood
Katie Fricker	TCNJ	JR	G	Marlton, NJ/Cherokee
Hope Goodwine	Rutgers-Camden	FR	G	Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township
Brittany Graff#+	Kean	GR	G	Elmwood Park, NJ/Immaculate Heart
Renee Wells%	William Paterson	JR	F	Leonardo, NJ/Middletown South

KEY:
* - First Team All-Conference 2023-24
+ - Second Team All-Conference 2023-24
% - Honorable Mention 2023-24
^ - Second Team All-Conference 2022-23
~ - Honorable Mention 2022-23
# - Second Team All-Conference 2021-22