Not many teams can say that they have both the Conference Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. Except for Iona Women’s Basketball team.

Sophomore guard Damika Martinez was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Player of the Year, and freshman forward Joy Adams won the MAAC Rookie of the Year Award.

Martinez, last year’s MAAC Rookie of the Year, led the conference in, averaging 18.1 points per game. She was tied for the most 3-point field goals made.

Adams led the conference in rebounds, averaging 10.7 boards per game. She averaged 13 points per game, best among freshmen. She recorded 17 double-doubles this season—this mark is the most by any freshman in the country.

The Gaels finished in second-place in the MAAC with a conference record of 13-5 and an overall record of 20-13. Their 13-5 mark in the MAAC is tied for the best conference record in school history. They recorded 20 wins for the third time in the last seven years.

By virtue of their second-place finish in the MAAC, the Gaels qualified for the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). This is the program’s fourth postseason berth. The others came in 2007, 2008 and 2010.

Iona played Drexel in the first round of the WNIT. The host Dragons topped the Gaels 59-50 in Philadelphia on March 21. Iona led the majority of the first half but trailed 23-18 at halftime. Drexel reeled off nine straight points early in the second half to take a 32-20 lead and kept the Gaels at bay the rest of the way.

Martinez led the Maroon & Gold with 22 points. Sophomore guard Aleesha Powell amassed 10 points, six assists and five rebounds. Adams posted a career-high 21 rebounds.

“We hadn’t played in 10 days, and we struggled to score,” Adams said.

Prior to the WNIT, Iona played in the MAAC Tournament from March 8-11 in Springfield, Mass. The Maroon & Gold defeated seventh-seeded Canisius 76-58 in the MAAC quarterfinals.

Martinez tied the MAAC Tournament record for points in a game by netting 36. She also grabbed seven rebounds. Adams posted a double-double with 15 points and 18 rebounds. Powell contributed 12 points.

“We didn’t have anything to lose,” Adams said. “We just came out and played our game.”

In their semifinal game the following day against sixth-seeded Siena, the Gaels came away with a 68-58 win. At one point, Iona led by as much as 21 points.

This win extended the Gaels’ winning streak to nine games. This streak is the longest for the program since the Maroon & Gold reeled off nine straight in 2010.

Martinez followed up her record-tying performance with 25 points and six rebounds. Adams compiled 11 points and 10 rebounds. Powell added 10 points. Junior center Sabrina Jeridore recorded a career-high 12 rebounds.

“We were all very pleased with how they came out and played,” Director of Basketball Operations Tim Gardner said. “We played very confidently.”

With this win, Iona advanced to the MAAC Championship game for the third time in program history. The Gaels faced the seven-time defending MAAC champion Marist (18-0 MAAC). The Red Foxes defeated the Gaels 72-48.

The first half was close. The Maroon & Gold trailed 34-27 at the break. Marist went on a 22-3 run to take a commanding 62-36 lead.

Adams recorded her third double-double of the tournament with 15 points and 11 boards. Redshirt junior guard Haley D’Angelo posted 12 points. Powell logged 10 points.

Adams and Martinez were named to the All-Tournament Team.

After this successful season, the future for the Maroon & Gold looks bright. They return all five starters, including the MAAC Player and Rookie of the Year. Many supporting players will still be members of the team.

“They’ve set the bar really high for themselves,” Gardner said. “We have very high expectations going forward for next season.”