BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU women's basketball team had three players honored by the league coaches, the Northeast Conference announced Monday. Freshman Emaia O'Brien was a unanimous pick for NEC Rookie of the Year, while senior Brandy Thomas was named first team All-NEC. O'Brien and classmate Danielle Grim also earned All-Rookie Team honors.
 
A unanimous selection for NEC Rookie of the Year after claiming a league-best eight Rookie of the Week honors, O'Brien becomes the second Shark to bring the award to Brooklyn in the past four years, joining current teammate Brandy Thomas, who was tabbed the league's top freshman in 2018-19. She came on strong during league play, netting double figures in 10 contests to rank second on the team with 10.3 points per game. O'Brien was a key contributor to LIU's regular-season ending run that featured wins in five of the final six games. During that stretch, she produced five double-digit scoring games and averaged 11.8 points over five starts. On the year, O'Brien, who made each of her 10 starts in NEC play, bolstered LIU's offense with 9.6 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting in 24.8 minutes per game.
 
Senior guard Thomas, who was named to the first team for the second time in her career after receiving the honor in 2019-20, becomes just the seventh four-time All-NEC honoree in league history. She joins Jessica Kovatch (Saint Francis U, 2015-19), Ashley Palmer (LIU Brooklyn, 2008-12), Artemis Spanou (Roger Morris, 2011-14), Kia Williams (Mount St. Mary's, 2011-14), Erin Kerner (Quinnipiac, 2005-09), and Amanda Pape (Sacred Heart, 2003-07). A product of Baldwin, NY, Thomas averaged 11.9 ppg and shot 43.4 percent from three on the season. During NEC play, she led the circuit in three-point field goal percentage (.421) and was the league's third-leading scorer, netting 13.9 ppg. She was a threat defensively as well, recording the third-most steals in the conference (2.0 per game).
 
The Sharks also placed a pair of newcomers on the NEC All-Rookie team. O'Brien and Danielle Grim represented the Sharks on the list after accounting for more than 20 percent of LIU's scoring during NEC play with averages of 10.4 and 3.5 points per game, respectively.
 
Up next, O'Brien, Thomas, Grim and the rest of the Sharks, head to Staten Island to take on #4 seed Wagner in the first round of the NEC tournament Monday night.