Crown Secured

Women’s Basketball Head Coach Stephanie Gaitley

The Knights women’s basketball team finished another outstanding campaign for 2025–26 going undefeated in conference play for a second consecutive season. The team secured the Northeast Conference (NEC) championship title and regular season title, punching their ticket to the NCAA tournament after defeating LIU 79-57 in the NEC championship game. The Knights, a No.15 seed, were narrowly defeated by No. 2 Iowa, losing 58-48 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Head coach Stephanie Gaitley swept the coaching awards this year.

Gaitley was named NEC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year and the third time in her career; Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Coach of the Year; and Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association DI Head Coach of the Year for the fourth time. Striding right into the history books with more than 750 career wins, she became the 15th DI collegiate coach and one of five active coaches to reach this milestone.

Gaitley picks up her awards after leading the Knights to a 30-5 record. The Knights’ 30 wins set a program record and tied an NEC record. Gaitley’s Knights joined the University of Connecticut (UConn) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as the only teams in the nation to go undefeated in conference play in 2025–26. Under Gaitley, the Knights also finished the regular season with a top three defense in the nation.