SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Senior guard Benthe Versteeg was named to the Big Sky Conference postseason honor roll for the third time in her career as well as picking up all-defensive team honors, while sophomore guard Rubi Gray was named to the all-conference team for the first time in her career as the league office released its postseason awards on Friday afternoon.

According to a vote of the league's head coaches, Versteeg was named to the second team for the second time in her career while becoming only the fifth Hornet to earn three All-Big Sky awards in a career, joining a group that includes Julie Wastell (1995-99), Kim Sheehy (2004-07), Kylie Kuhns (2009-13), and Fantasia Hilliard (2011-15).

Versteeg's inclusion on the league's all-defensive team marked the third time she has been named to that list in the three years of that award's existence and is joined by Idaho State's Kacey Spink as the only two players in the league's history to be named to all three of the league's all-defensive teams.

The senior enters the conference tournament ranked third on the team in both scoring (12.2 ppg) and rebounds (5.1 rpg), while leading the team — and the Big Sky — in both assists (147) and assists per game (4.74 apg). She has finished with double-digit points in 20 games, including a career-high tying 26 points against Idaho on Jan. 22 that helped her become the 19th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points.

Versteeg enters the postseason ranked among the top 10 in school history in points (12th), assists (second), field goals made (ninth), steals (ninth), games played (tied for second), games started (second), and holds the school record for minutes played (3,971).

In addition, she ranks seventh in Big Sky history in career assists with 593, and is two rebounds shy of becoming only the seventh player in the program's Division I history to have 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.

Gray finished the regular season as the Hornets' leading scorer, ranking sixth in the Big Sky in scoring (14.7 ppg), fifth in total points (457), sixth in field goals made (168), second in three-pointers made (74), and second in three-pointers per game (2.4).

She has five games with 20-or-more points, including 24 in the regular season finale at Idaho State on Monday (March 2), and has been in double figures in 24 of the team's 31 contests thus far — including 11 straight games from Nov. 12 to Jan. 1.

Her 457 points this year are the most points by a Sacramento State sophomore since Hannah Friend finished with 525 in 2017-18, while her 74 three-pointers made are the most by a Hornet since Kahlaijah Dean, the 2023 Big Sky Player of the Year, finished with 78 during that 2022-23 campaign.

Having finished the regular season with a 14-17 overall record and an 8-10 mark in Big Sky play, Sacramento State is the No. 5 seed in the upcoming league tournament in Boise, Idaho, facing off against No. 4 Idaho State in the third round on Monday (March 9) at 11 a.m. PT.

2025-26 ALL-BIG SKY CONFERENCE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL AWARDS
Most Valuable Player – Taylee Chirrick, Montana State
Newcomer of the Year – Kyra Gardner, Idaho*
Defensive Player of the Year – Taylee Chirrick, Montana State
Top Reserve – Debora dos Santos, Idaho
Freshman of the Year – Naomi White, Northern Arizona 
Coach of the Year – Arthur Moreira, Idaho*

FIRST TEAM
Taylee Chirrick, Montana State*
Naomi White, Northern Arizona 
Kyra Gardner, Idaho
Hope Hassmann, Idaho 
Addison Harris, Montana State
Kacey Spink, Idaho State
Tasia Jordan, Idaho State

SECOND TEAM
Benthe Versteeg, Sacramento State
Debora dos Santos, Idaho
Kourtney Grossman, Eastern Washington
Ella Gallatin, Eastern Washington
Avery Waddington, Montana
Tatum West, Northern Colorado

HONORABLE MENTION
Neenah George, Northern Colorado
Antoniette Emma-Nnopu, Weber State
Rubi Gray, Sacramento State
Kyleigh Brown, Portland State
Heather Baymon, Northern Colorado

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Taylee Chirrick, Montana State (DPOY)
Kacey Spink, Idaho State
Ana Pinheiro, Idaho
Benthe Versteeg, Sacramento State
Tatum West, Northern Colorado

* denotes unanimous selection