NEW YORK | The 11 Skyline Conference women's basketball head coaches cast their votes on the 2023-24 edition of the all-conference team, and Yeshiva senior guard Daniella Bessler has been selected as Player of the Year.
Bessler (below) stuffed the stat sheet this winter to the tune of 19.9 points per game – tops in the Skyline – and 9.4 rebounds per game, good enough for fourth in the league. She also tied for fifth in steals per game (2.3), fifth in free throw percentage (.709) and boasted top 10 showings in blocks per game (seventh) and assists (eighth) en route to the honor. She was also a two-time Skyline Player of the Week selection.
Three-time Skyline Player of the Week Lanyah Ford of St. Joseph’s-Long Island has been named Defensive Player of the Year, while breakout newcomer Emily Grasseler of U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, takes home Rookie of the Year honors.
Mount Saint Vincent bench boss Maria Nardulli has been named Coach of the Year in voting conducted by her peers.
Like Bessler, Ford (below) ranked in the top 10 in several categories during the regular season, including points and rebounds per game, establishing herself as one of the best defenders in the league, too. She averaged 15.8 points and consistently shutdown the opponent’s top offensive threat. The senior anchored a Golden Eagles team that reached the Skyline semifinals.
Bessler and Ford headline the First Team. They are joined by Mount Saint Vincent’s Magan Jackson, Manhattanville’s Julianna Kascic, Mount Saint Mary’s Charlotte Twohig and Ford’s teammate, fellow Golden Eagle standout, Casey Travers.
Nardulli (below), who went from top assistant to head coach for the Dolphins last season, guided third-seeded UMSV to the championship title this past weekend. The Dolphins defeated No. 1 Manhattanville, 63-42, to punch their ticket to “March Madness.” UMSV (22-6) will now face Christopher Newport in the NCAA tourney’s first round Friday in Virginia. This is her first Skyline Coach of the Year honor.
Prior to coaching, Nardulli spent her playing days at DII Mercy College, where she spent four years as a member of the women's basketball program and wrapped up her career ranking sixth in 3-pointers made. She was a three-sport student-athlete for the Mavericks, playing both lacrosse and cross country in addition to basketball.
Grasseler (below) captured one Skyline Player of the Week and six Rookie of the Week awards during the season. She registered 13 double-doubles for the Mariners. The newcomer is the conference leader in rebounds, ranking 27th in the country across DIII. She also ranks 12th in the conference in scoring, seventh in field goal percentage and fifth in blocked shots.
Grasseler is joined on the Second Team by UMSV champion Kira Villegas, Sarah Lawrence’s Kendall Haymore, St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn’s Destiny Hurt, Farmingdale State’s Layla Mendoza and YU’s Yuval Nitzan.
Below is the complete 2023-24 Skyline Conference Women's Basketball All-Conference Team:
First Team
Daniella Bessler, Yeshiva (Sr., G; Brookline, Mass.)
Lanyah Ford, St. Joseph’s-Long Island (Sr., G; Copiague, N.Y.)
Magan Jackson, Mount Saint Vincent (So., G; Bronx, N.Y.)
Julianna Kascic, Manhattanville (Gr., F; North Bergen, N.J.)
Casey Travers, St. Joseph’s-Long Island (Gr., G; Manorville, N.Y.)
Charlotte Twohig, Mount Saint Mary (Sr., G; Syosset, N.Y.)
Second Team
Emily Grasseler, USMMA (Fr., G; Millbrook, N.Y.)
Kendall Haymore, Sarah Lawrence (Sr., F; Miami, Fla.)
Destiny Hurt, St. Joseph’s-Brooklyn (Sr., F; Elmont, N.Y.)
Layla Mendoza, Farmingdale State (Sr., F; Westhampton Beach, N.Y.)
Yuval Nitzan, Yeshiva (Gr., G; Hod Hasharon, Israel)
Kira Villegas, Mount Saint Vincent (Gr., G; Bronx, N.Y.)
Player of the Year: Daniella Bessler, Yeshiva
Defensive Player of the Year: Lanyah Ford, St. Joseph’s-Long Island
Rookie of the Year: Emily Grasseler, USMMA
Coach of the Year: Maria Nardulli, Mount Saint Vincent (2nd Season)