Newsday’s All-Long Island girls basketball first team 2025

Newsday Player of the Year: Payton Dulin, Baldwin, 5-9, G, Sr.

Payton Dulin was a part of the Baldwin girls basketball program before she was even old enough to have her own cell phone. But once she did and Dulin gave Baldwin coach Tom Catapano her contact, the coach knew exactly how to save her.

“Payton The Future.”

The future quickly became the present as Dulin became a six-year varsity player, capping off her high school career by leading Baldwin to its third state championship in program history. Dulin, who is committed to play at George Washington University, averaged 15 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals in her senior season to be named Newsday’s girls basketball Player of the Year.

“I think she’ll go down as one of the greatest players to ever come out of Baldwin and Nassau County,” Catapano said. “But I really believe this is just the beginning of her legacy. I think she’s going to have a special career at the next level. I think she’s built to really, really have a great college career.”

Catapano first saw Dulin play when Dulin was in elementary school. Right away, he knew there was something special coming up the pipeline.

“I remember watching her play for the first time as a fourth grader and I knew she was different,” Catapano said. “I knew she was special.”

Dulin, who was a member of three county and three Long Island championship teams despite multiple postseasons disturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic, continued to improve throughout her varsity tenure.

Baldwin played one of the toughest schedules in New York State this season and Dulin was often at her best against the top competition. She had 24 points against Long Island Lutheran, one of the elite programs in the nation, and Dulin scored at least 20 points in three of four games following winning the county championship en route to winning the state Class AA crown. She also had seven assists in the state final as Dulin has always been more than just a scorer.

“She just seemed to always make the right play and I think that’s something that’s really, really difficult to coach,” Catapano said. “That feel for the game and she’s always had that. She just affected the game at every facet, every level.”

Suffolk Player of the Year: Jasmine McKay, North Babylon, 5-4, G, Sr.

You never knew what you were going to see when you watched Jasmine McKay play, but you knew it was going to be something special. McKay is a dynamic scorer with the ability to finish at the basket and knock down a shot from nearly anywhere in the gym.

McKay averaged 25.3 points, four rebounds, four assists and 5.4 steals per game to be named Newsday’s Suffolk Player of the Year. The New Haven commit averaged 3.3 made three-pointers per game and willed North Babylon to the Suffolk Class AAA quarterfinals in a 14-5 season.

McKay had a 45-point performance against Whitman, which reached the Suffolk Class AAA final after winning back-to-back county championships, and scored 31 points in a loss to Northport in the Suffolk Class AA quarterfinals.

FIRST TEAM

Taylor Brown, Long Island Lutheran, 5-7, G, Soph.

She averaged 16.3 points and 5.2 against a national schedule with the ability to finish at the basket and shoot from beyond the arc. Brown already holds offers from schools like West Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Emma Heaney, Plainview-Old Bethpage, 6-1, F, Sr.

She averaged 21 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and three steals to lead the Hawks to the Nassau Class AAA final. She had three triple-doubles this season in points, rebounds and blocks with the ability to dominate a game by running in space, shooting from deep or controlling the paint. The Lafayette commit graduates as the program’s all-time leading scorer at 1,525 points, according to coach Nick Tomasulo. Heaney had 28 points and 13 rebounds in a 60-47 win over top-seeded Massapequa in the semifinals.

Jada Hood, Brentwood, 5-6, G, Sr.

The playmaking guard led Brentwood its first county title in program history. She averaged 17.5 points, five assists and three steals per game. The six-year varsity player scored 20 of Brentwood’s 41 points in a 41-32 win over Whitman in the Suffolk Class AAA final.

Olivia Jones, Long Island Lutheran, 5-11, G, Jr.

It didn’t take Jones long to prove she was ready for the leading role at LuHi. Jones took over as the go-to playmaker for the Crusaders this year after graduating a stellar senior class. Jones averaged 19.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game against a national schedule and has offers from schools like Notre Dame, Miami and other top national programs.

Ryan Reynolds, Cold Spring Harbor, 5-10, F, Sr.

Reynolds is one of the top overall athletes on Long Island and she proved in the most important moment of the season she can be equally as dominant on the hardwood as on any field. After trailing by 10 points entering the fourth quarter of the state Class B final, Reynolds scored 11 points over the first four minutes to spark a comeback victory as Cold Spring Harbor won its first state title in program history. She averaged 17.5 points in the state semifinals and final.

Destiny Robinson, St. Mary’s, 6-1, F, Jr.

She averaged 20 points and 16 rebounds per game as a dominant force in the paint for the Gaels, who won the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA championship and reached the state final. Robinson, who had 28 points and 16 rebounds in the state CHSAA Class AA semifinals, is generating Division I interest, including an offer from Syracuse.

Samantha Schneider, Syosset, 5-9, G, Jr.

Schneider was elite during Syosset’s postseason run, averaging 26.5 points over four postseason games as she averaged 22.7 ppg for the year. She added six rebounds and five steals per game during the playoffs. Schneider had 26 points in a 65-56 win over Brentwood in the Long Island Class AAA final, including nine points in the fourth quarter.

Kayla Solomon, St. Mary’s, 5-8, G, Jr.

The dynamic guard averaged 16 points, five rebounds and three steals and is one of the top three-point shooters on Long Island. Solomon had 23 points in a 76-29 win over St. Anthony’s in the NSCHSAA final. She has multiple Division I offers, including Air Force and Siena.

Nassau Coach of the Year: Tom Catapano, Baldwin

He guided Baldwin to the state Class AA championship, which was his third state title at Baldwin. The Bruins went 24-2 with their only losses to LuHi, a national power, and Nazareth, the state CHSAA Class AA champions, in a tough non-league and state championship schedule.

Suffolk Coach of the Year: Keith Greene, Brentwood

He guided Brentwood to the Suffolk Class AAA title, the first county championship in program history, in a 21-3 season.