Basketball Ireland National League Player and Coach of the Year awards announced for 2024/25

Basketball Ireland are pleased to announce the ‘Player and Coach of the Year’ awards for the 2024/25 Domino's Men's and Women's Super League and Domino's Men's and Women's Division One season. 

Recently crowned champions UCC Demons dominate the Domino's Men's Super League awards, with Patrick Robinson picking up Player of the Year, while head coach Daniel O'Mahony is named Coach of the Year after leading the North Cork city side to a ninth league title at the National Basketball Arena last Sunday. Robinson joined the team in December and went on to average 28.3 points per game, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting almost 50% from beyond the arc. He ended his stint with UCC Demons by picking up MVP honours in the Domino's Super League Final, hitting a game high 35 points in the process.

Irish international Rapolas Buivydas is named Young Player of the Year  for the second year in succession following another excellent season with Garvey's Tralee Warriors. Buivydas ended the campaign averaging 14.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists. 

Patrick Robinson in action for UCC Demons in the Domino's Men's Super League Final

Samantha Haiby is Player of the Year in the Domino's Women's Super League. The Killester star put up 22.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game during her stint with the club, coming up clutch in big moments throughout the course of the season. She excelled once more in the Domino's Women's Super League Final last weekend - putting up a double-double - 25 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 7 steals in their win over Utility Trust St. Paul's. Another Irish international has been selected as Young Player of the Year, as SETU Waterford Wildcats Sarah Hickey will remarkably pick up her fifth award in a row in this category. The 21-year-old was to the fore as her team secured the best record during the regular season. Hickey herself averaged a double-double, 19.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game this season. 

Killester's head coach Mark Grennell is named Domino's Women's Super League Coach of the Year, as the Clontarf side secured back-to-back championships under his tutelage, while also reaching the final in their defence of the Paudie O'Connor National Cup, ultimately losing out to FloMAX Liffey Celtics in January. 

AJ Williams of Limerick Celtics jaws with supporters after hitting a big shot in the Domino's Men's Division One Final.

Limerick Celtics scoop both the Player and Coach of the Year awards in Domino's Men's Division One, with AJ Williams and Tony Hehir get the nod. The duo have lead the club to the top tier of Irish basketball for the first time, following their win against ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers at the National Basketball Arena on Saturday afternoon. Williams has been the stadnout player in the league, capping a fine season with a 30 point performance in the deciding game, which he picked up MVP to boot. Williams proved to be a leader both on and off the court for the team, helping to guide the club's young role players accordingly. ND Audit Portlaoise Panthers' Irish guard James Phelan is the Young Player of the Year. Phelan had a efficiency rating of 20.6 for the season, averaging 18.8 points and more than 85% from the free-throw line in 25 games. 

McEvoy's Cavan Eagles enjoyed a dream season, earning promotion to the Domino's Women's Super League for the first time and two instrumental figures in that campaign have been recognised here too. Rahmena Henderson wins the Player of the Year award for her outstanding contributions on both ends of the floor. Henderson averaged 21.1 points per game to go along with 9.4 rebounds, but she also excelled as her side's primary defender, guarding the oppositions number one scoring threat time after time. Stephens meanwhile takes the Coach of the Year honours after orchestrating a perfect 22-0 season in league and cup that will go down as one of the best in recent memory. 

McEvoy's Cavan Eagles Rahmena Henderson (0) is congratulated after winning her Domino's Women's Division One Final MVP award. 

The Young Player of the Year award goes to Cleveland Rockets Caitlin Gloeckner. Gloeckner took the move north from SETU Waterford Wildcats in her stride and showed her class while dropping down to Domino's Women's Division One from the top tier.  Gloeckner averaged 15.5 points per game while showing composure from the point, in a team which reached the final four in their bid for promotion. It caps a superb year for the Queens University student, who also earned her first senior international cap in February.