Women’s Basketball’s Sofia Tavarez ’29 named NESCAC Rookie of the Year

It was a standout debut season for Women’s Basketball guard Sofia Tavarez ’29—the best in the league, in fact, as she has been named the New England Small College Athletics Conference (NESCAC) Rookie of the Year. 

Tavarez, who hails from Cortlandt Manor, New York, is just the second Camel to earn the Rookie of the Year honors. She also earned a spot on the All-NESCAC Second Team; she is the only first-year player on the squad and the first Conn rookie ever to earn all-conference honors. All awards are determined by a vote of the league’s head coaches.

Tavarez played in all 25 games and made six starts in her debut season with the Camels. She led the team and ranked third in the NESCAC in scoring at 15.2 points per game, and also paced Conn in assists (66) and steals (34).

One of the top point guards in the NESCAC, Tavarez scored in double figures in 19 of 25 games and netted 20+ points in seven. She tallied a season-high 31 points against both Wesleyan and Bates, and was the only player in the conference to record multiple 30-point games.

Tavarez helped lead the Camels back to the NESCAC Championship tournament for the first time since 2022. She finished with 13 points, three rebounds and three assists as sixth-seeded Conn fell by a 77-55 final at third-seeded Amherst in the quarterfinals. Conn finished the season with an overall record of 14-11.