Annie Barrett, the all-time assists leader in New York University Women's Basketball Team history, returned as an assistant coach in June 2022.
In ‘24-25, Barrett was a member of the University Athletic Association (UAA) Coaching Staff of the Year as the Violets went 31-0 and won its second consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship. NYU led the nation in average scoring margin (+37.3), field goal percentage (.506), assists per game (21.1), was second in points per game (87.9) and assist/turnover ratio (1.56), and fourth in turnover margin (+10.65).
The players received numerous accolades for their performances as Natalie Bruns earned Player of the Year honors from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), UAA, D3hoops.com, and the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (WBWA) for the second consecutive season and established a program record for career blocked shots (328). She also received the NCAA’s Elite 90 Award, the Josten’s Award, and was named College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic Team Member of the Year.
Belle Pellecchia was the UAA Defensive Player of the Year for an unprecedented fourth straight season, earned WBCA and D3hoops.com All-America honors and was named NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player. She, Bruns and Caroline Peper were also selected First Team All-UAA.
In 2023-24, Barrett helped lead NYU to the program’s second-ever NCAA Division III National Championship as the team defeated Smith College 51-41 in the title game to cap a perfect 31-0 season. The Violets captured their third-consecutive UAA Championship and NYU was named UAA Coaching Staff of the Year.
In their championship season, NYU ranked first in NCAA Division III in field goal percentage (team-record 49.0), third in three-point percentage (37.1), fourth in scoring margin (+26.1), and sixth in both blocks per game (6.2) and assists per game (18.5).
Natalie Bruns earned Player of the Year honors from the WBCA, UAA, D3hoops.com, and the MBWA while establishing team records for blocked shots in a season (98) and career (237).
Pellecchia was named UAA Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight year, while she, Bruns, Megan Bauman, and Morgan Morrison notched First Team All-UAA honors.
Bruns and Morrison were selected WBCA All-Americans, with Pellecchia earning Honorable Mention. Bruns (First Team), Morrison (Second Team) and Pellecchia (Fifth Team) also received D3hoops.com All-America honors.
In Barrett’s first season on staff, the Violets reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament and won the UAA Championship. NYU opened the season with 11 straight wins and was ranked #1 in the nation by D3hoops.com and #2 by the WBCA.
After dropping two games, the Violets went on a 14-game winning streak before falling to host Transylvania University in the Elite Eight.
Nationally, the Violets finished fourth in assist/turnover ratio (1.27) and blocks per game (6.5), ninth in scoring margin (21.5), 12th in field goal percentage (44.52) and turnovers per game (12.9), 13th in winning percentage (89.3), and 16th in both scoring (75.7) and three-point percentage (33.9).
Several players received numerous accolades for their performances. Bruns was named a WBCA All-American, D3hoops.com Region 4 Most Outstanding Player and First Team All-American, UAA Player of the Year, and First Team All-Met. Pellechia was selected WBCA All-America Honorable Mention, UAA Defensive Player of the Year, D3hoops.com Region 4 First Team, and Second Team All-UAA and All-Met. Jenny Walker earned All-UAA and All-Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA) Second Team honors, while Peper was named both UAA and D3hoops.com Region 4 Rookie of the Year.
Barrett, a 2020 NYU magna cum laude graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social and Cultural Analysis, was a four-year team member. Her 435 career assists tops the all-time list, as does her 202 dimes during the 2019-20 season (which also led NCAA Division III).
A two-time team captain, Barrett was named UAA) Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was a Second Team All-UAA selection in '19-20.
During Barrett's time as a Violet, NYU posted an overall 70-40 record and advanced to postseason play each season. The Violets won the ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) Division III Championship in 2019 and advanced to the Second Round of the NCAA Division III Championship in 2020.
In addition to her stellar on-court production, Barrett was a three-time UAA All-Academic honoree and was named CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) All-Academic District 3 as a senior.
Barrett played in 91 games as a Violet, 84 as a starter.
After graduating, Barrett served as the Development and Database Coordinator of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (MA) beginning in January 2021. Previous to that position, she held postgraduate internships at All In Together and Visit.org and undergraduate internships at Team Impact and the Women's Sports Foundation.
A native of Cambridge, MA, Barrett resides in New York City.
