CAA Announces 2026 Women’s Basketball Major Awards: Barbot Goes Back-to-Back as CAA Player of the Year

3/11/2026 10:00:00 AM

Ben Kane

RICHMOND, Va. (Mar. 11, 2026) - Ahead of the 2026 Credit Union 1 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship, the Coastal Athletic Association has announced its women's basketball postseason awards for the 2025-26 season.

Voting was conducted in a poll of the CAA’s 13 head coaches following the conclusion of the regular season. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players. Recipients will be recognized at their respective games at the Credit Union 1 CAA Women’s Basketball Championship, beginning on March 11 at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C.

One year after becoming the program’s first CAA Player of the Year, Charleston’s Taryn Barbot went back-to-back. Tabbed the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, the junior guard produced one of the most well-rounded stat lines in the conference. Barbot paced the CAA with her 19.4 points per game while averaging 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Eclipsing the 20-point threshold in 15 games this season, the Floral Park, N.Y. resident claimed CAA Player of the Week honors five times. The 2023-24 CAA Rookie of the Year also earned a spot on the All-CAA Defensive Team and All-CAA First Team for the second-straight campaign.

Charleston’s Grace Ezebilo was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year in a season that saw her rank amongst the nation’s best rebounders. The forward tops the CAA and sits 34th in the country with her 11.9 rebounds per game and ranks fourth nationally with 4.7 offensive boards per contest. Ezebilo is also sixth in the conference with 1.8 steals per game. The Nigerian junior added 6.7 points per game for the Cougars.

Towson’s India Johnston, voted as the CAA Sixth Player of the Year, provided the biggest spark off the bench in the conference this campaign. The fourth-year guard averaged 15.8 points in 30 appearances, which included seven games with 20 or more points. The All-CAA Second Team selection set her career-high with 31 points against William & Mary in mid February and was second on the team with 73 assists.

Campbell’s Jasmine Nivar balled out in her first collegiate season, garnering CAA Rookie of the Year honors. The first-year guard was the Camels’ highest scorer, averaging 11.5 points per game. The eight time CAA Rookie of the Week reached double-point points in 19 of her 31 games, including a season-best 24 in her third conference game against Elon. Nivar also averaged 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 steals to help her earn All-CAA Third Team and All-CAA Rookie Team honors.
Rewarded for her work in the classroom and on the court, William & Mary’s Cassidy Geddes was honored as the CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. An All-CAA Second Team honoree for the second-straight season, the junior guard paced her team in scoring with 13.6 points per game. Off the court, the finance major maintained a 3.92 GPA.

Drexel’s Grace O’Neill was named the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award recipient, granted to a student athlete who embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and sportsmanship in conjunction with her academic and athletic achievement. Serving as a team captain since 2024, O’Neill has been a leader on the court and in her community. The West Chester, Pa. native has successfully raised $46,000 for Special Olympics this year, all while maintaining a 3.89 GPA in finance and serving as a SAAC representative. On the court, she is one of the premier assisters in the conference, averaging 4.1 helpers through 31 games.

Cougar Head Coach Robin Harmony was voted by her peers as the CAA Coach of the Year after leading her program to a CAA Regular Season Title. The title bookmarked the Cougars’ first championship in Division I program history. Harmony guided her squad to a 24-5 record, helping it spend majority of the season in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. With a 70-64 victory over N.C. A&T on the final day of the regular season, she also won her 119th game at Charleston to become the winningest head coach in program history.

Along with the major awards, the CAA announced its all-conference, all-defensive, and all-rookie teams.

Player of the Year : Taryn Barbot (Charleston)
Sixth Player of the Year: India Johnston (Towson)
Defensive Player of the Year: Grace Ezebilo (Charleston)
Rookie of the Year: Jasmine Nivar (Campbell) Unanimous
Coach of the Year: Robin Harmony (Charleston)
Dean Ehlers Leadership Award: Grace O’Neill (Drexel)
Scholar Athlete: of the Year Cassidy Geddes (William & Mary)

All-CAA First Team

Name	Team	Class	Position	Hometown
Amaris Baker	Drexel	Gr.	G	Philadelphia, Pa.
Taryn Barbot	Charleston	Jr.	G	Floral Park, N.Y.
Taylor Barbot	Charleston	Jr.	G	Floral Park, N.Y.
Chaniya Clark	N.C. A&T	R-Sr.	C	Fort Myers, Fla.
Gigi Gamble	Monmouth	Jr.	G	Somerset, N.J.

All-CAA Second Team

Name	Team	Class	Position	Hometown
Janay Brantley	Stony Brook	Jr.	G	Catskill, N.Y.
Divine Dibula	Monmouth	Jr.	F	Ottawa Ontario, Canada
Cassidy Geddes	William & Mary	Jr.	G	Hickory, N.Y.
India Johnston	Towson	Sr.	G	Bear, De.
Laine McGurk	Drexel	Jr.	G	West Chester, Pa.

All-CAA Third Team

Name	Team	Class	Position	Hometown
LaNae’ Corbett	Elon	So.	F	Upper Marlboro, Md.
Rori Cox	UNCW	Gr.	G	Brooklyn, N.Y.
Kayla Lezama	Hampton	Jr.	G	Boston, Mass.
Jasmine Nivar	Campbell	Fr.	G	Apex, N.C.
Paris Locke	N.C. A&T	Jr.	F	Baltimore, Md.

All-CAA Defensive Team

Name	Team	Class	Position	Hometown
Taryn Barbot	Charleston	Jr.	G	Floral Park, N.Y.
Chaniya Clark	N.C. A&T	Jr.	G	Floral Park, N.Y.
Grace Ezebilo	Charleston	Jr.	F	Nigeria, Africa
N’Na Konate	Campbell	Fr.	C	Lausanne, Switzerland
Kayla Morris	Towson	R-Sr.	F	Harlem, N.Y.

All-CAA Rookie Team

Name	Team	Class	Position	Hometown
Madalena Amaro	Monmouth	Fr.	G	Faro, Portugal
Ashanti Fox	Elon	Fr.	G	Vass, N.C.
N’Na Konate	Campbell	Fr.	C	Lausanne, Switzerland
Jasmine Nivar	Campbell	Fr.	G	Apex, N.C.
Tamia Watkins	Elon	Fr.	F/C	Kershaw, S.C.