Navy Midshipmen Basketball Star Named Patriot League Rookie of Week Again

The Navy Midshipmen women’s basketball team has a young star to go along with its veteran mainstay, Zanai Barnett-Gay.

Nov 28, 2020; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; A general view of the Navy Midshipmen logo on a water tower near the stadium is seen before the game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Memphis Tigers at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. / Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

Zanai Barnett-Gay started the Navy Midshipmen women’s basketball youth movement last year. It looks like Julianna Almeida is out to continue it this season.

For the second straight week, Almeida was named the Patriot League’s rookie of the week, marking the second time this season and putting her squarely in the conversation to be named the Patriot League’s rookie of the year later this season.

Barnett-Gay claimed that award at the end of last season, which saw her claim the rookie of the week award seven different times.

Almeida has helped push the Midshipmen into a tie for third place in the league standings as they take the week off before hosting Lafayette on Saturday at Alumni Hall.

She’ll enter that game ranked second among Patriot League rookies during league action with 10.4 points per game.

Last week, the North Arlington, N.J., product averaged 14.5 points and 3.0 rebounds, while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 42.9 percent from the 3-point line and 88.9 percent from the foul line as Navy split for the week.

In the matchup with Lehigh, she set a career-high with 16 points, shooting 50% from the field and pulled down three rebounds. Then, to end the week, she helped push the Midshipmen to an overtime win over Bucknell. She had 13 points, including making all six free throws, and grabbed three rebounds.

In winning the award the week prior, she averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.0 3-pointers per game.

While in high school, she scored over 1,000 career points at the Saddle River Day School. The team went 77-14 during her time with Saddle River Day School, won three Bergen County titles and the 2022 North Jersey Non-Public B Sectional Championship. She also played lacrosse.

Barnett-Gay was named an honorable mention for player of the week. The sophomore was just named to the Ann Meyers Drysdale midseason Top 50 list for player of the year.

Last week she averaged 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.0 steals, and 2.5 assists. She posted 19 points, five rebounds and four steals against Lehigh, then recorded 16 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals in the win over Bucknell.

Navy is positioning itself well for the Patriot League Tournament, which will determine who receives the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.

The Midshipmen have not been to March Madness since 2013, when it wrapped up three straight Patriot League tournament titles.  

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