# 2016–17 Northeast Conference women's basketball season

The 2016–17 NEC women's basketball season began with practices in October 2016, followed by the start of the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season in November. Conference play started in late December 2016 and concluded in March with the 2017 Northeast Conference women's basketball tournament.

## Preseason
### Rankings

| | NEC Coaches Poll |
| 1. | Sacred Heart (6) |
| 2. | Robert Morris (3) |
| 3. | Saint Francis (PA) (1) |
| 4. | Bryant |
| 5. | LIU Brooklyn |
| 6. | St. Francis Brooklyn |
| 7. | Central Connecticut |
| 8. | Mount St. Mary's |
| 9. | Fairleigh Dickinson |
| 10. | Wagner |
 first place votes

### All-NEC team

* Coaches Poll
* Hannah Kimmel, Sacred Heart, R-Sr., F.
* Shanovia Dove, LIU Brooklyn, Sr., G.
* Ivory Bailey, Bryant, Jr., G.
* Jessica Kovatch, Saint Francis (PA), So., G.
* Anna Niki Stamolamprou, Robert Morris, Sr., G.

## Head coaches

Note: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season. All numbers are from time at current school.
| Team | Head coach | Previous school | Seasons at school | Overall record |
| Bryant | Mary Burke | Bryant | 25 | 363–357 |
| Central Connecticut | Beryl Piper | Central Connecticut | 9 | 124–146 |
| Fairleigh Dickinson | Peter Cinella | American International College | 9 | 95–175 |
| LIU Brooklyn | Stephanie Oliver | Seton Hall | 1 | 9–21 |
| Mount St. Mary's | Bryan Whitten | Virginia Commonwealth | 9 | 105–166 |
| Robert Morris | Sal Buscaglia | Manhattan | 12 | 205–165 |
| Sacred Heart | Jessica Mannetti | Hofstra | 3 | 48–44 |
| St. Francis Brooklyn | John Thurston | Fordham | 4 | 52–71 |
| Saint Francis (PA) | Joe Haigh | Saint Francis (PA) | 4 | 53–73 |
| Wagner | Lisa Cermignano | Illinois | 4 | 23–93 |

## Postseason
### NEC tournament

* March 2017 Northeast Conference Basketball Tournament.
| Quarterfinals Sunday, March 5 NEC Front Row | Quarterfinals Sunday, March 5 NEC Front Row | Quarterfinals Sunday, March 5 NEC Front Row | | | Semifinals Wednesday, March 8 NEC Front Row | Semifinals Wednesday, March 8 NEC Front Row | Semifinals Wednesday, March 8 NEC Front Row | Championship Sunday, March 12 ESPNU | Championship Sunday, March 12 ESPNU | Championship Sunday, March 12 ESPNU |
| 1 | Robert Morris | 68 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Fairliegh Dickinson | 35 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Fairliegh Dickinson | 35 | | | 1 | Robert Morris | 70 | | | |
| | | | | | 6 | Central Connecticut | 62 | | | |
| 4 | Bryant | 59 | | | 6 | Central Connecticut | 62 | | | |
| 5 | Mount St. Mary's | 47 | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Mount St. Mary's | 47 | | | | | | 1 | Robert Morris | 65 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 1 | Robert Morris | 65 |
| (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | (Pairings are reseeded after the first round) | 4 | Bryant | 52 |
| 2 | Sacred Heart | 90 | | | | | | | | | 4 | Bryant | 52 |
| 7 | St. Francis (NY) | 69 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | St. Francis (NY) | 69 | | | 2 | Sacred Heart | 68 | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Bryant | 75 | | | |
| 3 | Saint Francis (PA) | 57 | | | 4 | Bryant | 75 | | | |
| 6 | Central Connecticut | 65 | | | | | | | | |
All games will be played at the venue of the higher seed

### NCAA tournament

| Seed | Region | School | 1st Round | 2nd Round | Sweet 16 | Elite Eight | Final Four | Championship |
| 16th | Lexington | Robert Morris | L, 47–77 vs. #1 Notre Dame – (Edmund P. Joyce Center) | | | | | |

### National Invitational tournament

| School | 1st Round | 2nd Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Championship |
| Sacred Heart | L, 43–72 vs. St. John's – (Carnesecca Arena) | | | |

### Women's Basketball Invitational

| Seed | Bracket | School | 1st Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Championship |
| 7th | East | Saint Francis (PA) | W, 79–68 vs. Campbell – (John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center) | L, 57–67 vs. Milwaukee – (DeGol Arena) | |

## All-NEC honors and awards

Following the regular season, the conference selected outstanding performers based on a poll of league coaches.
| Honor | Recipient |
| Player of the Year | Anna Niki Stamolamprou, RMU |
| Coach of the Year | Charlie Buscaglia, RMU |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Ace Harrison, SFU |
| Rookie of the Year | Kerstie Phills, WAG |
| Most Improved Player of the Year | Katherine Haines, SHU |
| All-NEC First Team | Ace Harrison, SFU |
| All-NEC First Team | Hannah Kimmel, SHU |
| All-NEC First Team | Jessica Kovatch, SFU |
| All-NEC First Team | Alex Klein, BRY |
| All-NEC First Team | Anna Niki Stamolamprou, RMU |
| All-NEC Second Team |
| All-NEC Second Team | Alexis Carter, MSM |
| All-NEC Second Team | Shanovia Dove, LIU |
| All-NEC Second Team | Katherine Haines , SHU |
| All-NEC Second Team | Aleah Epps , CCSU |
| All-NEC Second Team | Kerstie Phills, WAG |
| All-NEC Third Team | Caroline Hummell, MSM |
| All-NEC Third Team | Amina Markovic, FDU |
| All-NEC Third Team | Katie Reese, FDU |
| All-NEC Third Team | Megan Smith , RMU |
| All-NEC Third Team | Adaysha Williams, SHU |
| All-NEC Rookie Team | Aja Boyd, LIU |
| All-NEC Rookie Team | Nneka Ezeigbo, RMU |
| All-NEC Rookie Team | Sydney Holloway, BRY |
| All-NEC Rookie Team | Kerstie Phills, WAG |
| All-NEC Rookie Team | Ashlee White, MSM |