Four Hawks Earn All-Big 5 Women’s Basketball Honors
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Saint Joseph's junior forward Laura Ziegler was announced on Wednesday as the Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year, while Villanova's Jasmine Bascoe was named Rookie of the Year, and Wildcat head coach Denise Dillon was chosen as the Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year.
Senior forward Talya Brugler of Saint Joseph's was chosen as the Big 5 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while Hawk guard Gabby Casey earned the Most Improved Player Award.
Ziegler, Brugler and Bascoe are joined on the All-Big 5 first team by Temple guard Tiarra East, Penn forward Stina Almqvist and Drexel guard Amaris Baker.
The All-Big 5 second team features Maddie Webber (Villanova), Tarriyonna Gary (Temple), Mackenzie Smith (Saint Joseph's), Katie Collins (Penn) and Ashleigh Connor (La Salle).
There was also one Honorable Mention selection, with Penn's Mataya Gayle earning that distinction.
Almqvist was recognized as the Big 5 leading scorer averaging 17.7 points per game average, while Bascoe was the top free throw shooter at .876 (92-105).
PHILADELPHIA BIG 5 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARD WINNERS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's (Junior, Forward)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova (Freshman, Guard)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Denise Dillon, Villanova
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Gabby Casey, Saint Joseph's (Sophomore, Guard)
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Talya Brugler, Saint Joseph's (Senior, Forward)
LEADING SCORER
Stina Almqvist, Penn (Senior, Forward) 17.7 ppg.
LEADING FREE THROW SHOOTER
Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova (Freshman, guard) 87.6 percent (92-105)
ALL-BIG 5 FIRST TEAM
Talya Brugler, Saint Joseph's
Laura Ziegler, Saint Joseph's
Stina Almquist, Penn
Tiarra East, Temple
Amaris Baker, Drexel
Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova
ALL-BIG 5 SECOND TEAM
Mackenzie Smith, Saint Joseph's
Maddie Webber, Villanova
Tarriyonna Gary, Temple
Kate Collins, Penn
Ashleigh Connor, La Salle
HONORABLE MENTION
Mataya Gayle, Penn
Latest Men's Soccer News
- Rasheer Fleming Selected 31st In The 2025 NBA DraftRasheer Fleming was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the 31st overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, becoming the 34th Saint Joseph's player to be chosen in the NBA Draft. As part of a deal to be finalized later, the Minnesota Timberwolves are trading to the Phoenix Suns the draft rights to Fleming.
- Saint Joseph’s University Opts-In to NIL Deals for Basketball Student-Athletes, Affirming Commitment to Competitive ExcellenceSaint Joseph's University announced that it will opt-in to the historic House vs. NCAA settlement, paving the way for licensing of student-athletes' name, image and likeness.
- Men's Basketball Announces Staff UpdatesPHILADELPHIA – Saint Joseph's men's basketball head coach Billy Lange has announced three staff changes for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Chris Flegler will now be an assistant coach for player development, Phil Lawrence-Ricks is elevated to Director of Player Development and Scouting and Casey Woodford has been elevated to Director of Basketball Operations and Video.
- Women's Soccer Announces 2025 SchedulePHILADELPHIA – Head coach Jess Manella of the Saint Joseph's women's soccer team announced the squad's 2025 schedule on Tuesday. The 18-match slate includes multiple local rivalries as well as contests against traditional powerhouses in their conferences.
- Introducing: The Maguire Athletic CenterIn order for student-athletes to compete at the highest levels, they need to be supported by state-of-the-art facilities to enhance their training, performance and overall well-being. Enter: The Maguire Athletic Center.
- Council, Moser and Newman To Serve As Hawk Mascots For 2025-26John Council, David Moser and Christopher Newman will serve as the Saint Joseph's Hawk mascots for the 2025-26 academic year, department officials announced on Tuesday. Council will serve as The Hawk for the men's basketball program, while Newman and Moser return as The Hawk for the women's basketball program for a second consecutive year.