Catalon, Valenzuela Named Unanimous First Team All-BIG EAST

NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference announced on Thursday that Savannah Catalon (Mansfield, Texas) and Mariana Valenzuela (Mazatlan, Mexico) were unanimous selections the All-BIG EAST First Team. Additionally, Catalon was named to the BIG EAST All-Defensive Team and Zahara Bishop (Minneapolis, Minn.) earned BIG EAST All-Freshman Team honors.

Catalon had a massive junior year for Seton Hall, both offensively and defensively. The guard set new single-season career highs in nearly every statistical category including points, rebounds, assists, steals and shooting percentage. Named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll five times, the captain has started every game and ranks in the conference's top-10 in points, steals and leads the BIG EAST in free-throw percentage. Catalon needs just 48 points to become the 26^th player in Seton Hall history to reach 1,000 for her career.

Named to the newly created five-person All-Defensive Team, Catalon's 79 steals are tied for the sixth-most in a single-season in Seton Hall history and currently ranks 31^st in the country this season. She has drawn a team-best 190 fouls this year and is averaging 6.6 fouls drawn per game, most of which charges.

Valenzuela proved to be a marquee addition to Seton Hall this year, choosing South Orange as the location for her final collegiate season. After never starting a game in 80 prior games at Florida State, she has started all 29 contests this season and averaged 12.9 points with a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game. Valenzuela was twice named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll and earned BIG EAST Player of the Week on Dec. 29. She collected her first four career double-doubles this season and led the Pirates in rebounding 18 times.

Bishop gives Seton Hall a member of the All-Freshman Team for a third straight season. The Minneapolis native has averaged 8.4 points and 3.3 rebounds and played in all 29 games for Seton Hall, making 16 starts. She was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week three times and erupted for a career-high 21 points at DePaul on Jan. 17.

2025-26 BIG EAST POSTSEASON HONORS

BIG EAST Player of the Year
Sarah Strong, Connecticut, So., F*

BIG EAST Freshman of the Year
Blanca Quiñonez, Connecticut, Fr., F

BIG EAST Coaches of the Year
Geno Auriemma, Connecticut

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Sarah Strong, Connecticut, So., F

BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Brynn McCurry, Villanova, Jr., F

BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Meg Newman, DePaul, R-Sr., F

BIG EAST Sixth-Woman Award
Blanca Quiñonez, Connecticut, Fr., F

All-BIG EAST First Team
KK Arnold, UConn, Jr., G
Azzi Fudd, UConn, Gr., G*
Sarah Strong, UConn, So., F*
Ava Zediker, Creighton, Fr., G*
Skylar Forbes, Marquette, Jr., F*
Halle Vice, Marquette, Jr., G*
Sabou Gueye, Providence, Gr., G*
Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall, Jr., G*
Mariana Valenzuela, Seton Hall, Sr., F*
Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova, So., G*

All-BIG EAST Second Team ^
Blanca Quiñonez, UConn, Fr., F
Kate Novik, DePaul, Jr., G
Lee Volker, Marquette, Gr., G
Brooke Moore, St. John's, Jr., G
Brynn McCurry, Villanova, Jr., F
Mariyah Noel, Xavier, Jr., G

All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention
Ashlynn Shade, UConn, Jr., G
Grace Boffeli, Creighton, Gr., F
Sa'Mya Wyatt, St. John's, So., F

BIG EAST All-Defensive Team
KK Arnold, UConn, Jr., G
Sarah Strong, UConn, So., F
Skylar Forbes, Marquette, Jr., F
Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall, Jr., G
Kennedy Henry, Villanova, Fr., G

BIG EAST All-Freshman Team
Blanca Quiñonez, UConn, Fr., F*
Ava Zediker, Creighton, Fr., G*
Neleigh Gessert, Creighton, Fr., G*
Zahara Bishop, Seton Hall, Fr., G
Kennedy Henry, Villanova, Fr., G*

* Unanimous selection
^ Due to a tie in voting, there are six players on the second-team