HADLEY, Mass. – The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) announced its women's basketball awards for the 2023-24 season on Thursday.

Bowdoin's Sydney Jones was selected as the NESCAC Player of the Year by the conference coaches. Jones leads the Polar Bears in scoring (16.5 ppg), rebounding (7.0 rpg), assists (3.3. apg), and steals (1.9 spg). The junior, who also earned a spot on the All-NESCAC team for the second straight year, led Bowdoin to its 10th NESCAC title averaging 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 3.5 steals per game while shooting 93.7 percent from the foul line in the semifinals and championship game. Jones is the seventh Polar Bear to earn the Player of the Year award and the first since current Bowdoin assistant coach Abby Kelly in 2019.

Bria Fuller, the 2020 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, is the NESCAC's Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. Fuller has started all 26 games for the Bantams and is chipping in 6.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. The senior guard has 19 steals and 15 blocks on the year and helped Trinity reach the semifinals of the NESCAC Tournament for the third consecutive season. Fuller and the Bantams earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and will play a first-round game on Friday, March 1.

Colby's Kate Olenik becomes the first player in program history named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year. Olenik led all newcomers in scoring in the NESCAC, averaging a team-high 15.3 points per game while also grabbing 5.3 rebounds, handing out 2.0 assists, and collecting 2.1 steals per game for the Mules. Olenik, who also earned All-NESCAC Second Team honors, helped Colby qualify for the NESCAC Tournament for the second time in three seasons.

The Bowdoin coaching staff of head coach Megan Phelps and assistant Abby Kelly were voted as NESCAC Coaching Staff of the Year by their fellow coaches. It marks the sixth time Polar Bear coaches have been recognized with the award since 2001. Phelps is in her second season at the helm of the Bowdoin program and led the Polar Bears to their first NESCAC title since 2020 and 10th overall. Phelps and the Polar Bears will host NCAA Division III Tournament First and Second Round games starting on Friday, March 1.

2024 NESCAC Women's Basketball Awards
Player of the Year: Sydney Jones, Bowdoin
Defensive Player of the Year: Bria Fuller, Trinity
Rookie of the Year: Kate Olenik, Colby
Coaching Staff of the Year: Bowdoin College (Megan Phelps, Abby Kelly)

All-NESCAC First Team
Pos-Name	School	Yr	Hometown	Previous Honors
C - Reilly Campbell	Trinity	Sr.	Wallingford, Conn.	2023 1st Team
C/F - Elsa Daulerio	Bates	So.	Harpswell, Maine
G/F - Arianna Gerig	Williams	Jr.	Westport, Conn.
G - Sydney Jones	Bowdoin	Jr.	Chestnut Hill, Mass.	2023 2nd Team
G - Morgan Kennedy	Bates	Sr.	Oklahoma City, Okla.
G - Alexa Mustafaj	Middlebury	Jr.	Yonkers, N.Y.	2023 1st Team, 2022 ROY, 2022 2nd Team
F - Maggie Russell	Tufts	Sr.	Morristown, N.J.	2023 POY, 2023 1st Team, 2022 1st Team
All-NESCAC Second Team
Pos-Name	School	Yr	Hometown	Previous Honors
G - Kori Barach	Amherst	Jr.	Carlisle, Mass.	2023 2nd Team
G - Carly Davey	Bowdoin	So.	Westford, Mass.
G - Augusta Dixon	Middlebury	Jr.	Charlestown, S.C.
F - Taylor Lambo	Hamilton	So.	Watertown, Mass.	2023 ROY, 2023 2nd Team
G - Alexandra Long	Bates	Jr.	Newtown, Pa.
G - Kate Olenik	Colby	Fy.	Medfield, Mass.
G - Emma Wax	Trinity	Sr.	Pine Brook, N.J.	2023 2nd Team