Maria De Gracia Karamanites earned Continental Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after Florida National University’s first game of the 2026-27 women’s basketball season. The sophomore from Panama City, Panama, received the award Nov. 2. It is the fourth career defensive honor Karamanites has received from the CAC.
Karamanites led Florida National with 20 points and nine rebounds against the University of the Virgin Islands (USVI). The Conquistadors lost 72-69 on Oct. 28 in Hialeah, Fla. Her performance nearly produced a double-double in the season opener.
Karamanites made her largest statistical impact in the fourth quarter. She scored eight points and collected seven rebounds in the period. Florida National nearly completed a comeback before falling to the University of the Virgin Islands.
“De Gracia, the defensive honoree, was exceptional for the Conquistadors by posting a team-high 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds to nearly record a double-double performance against the University of Virgin Islands,” the CAC said in its release. The release also noted that the Panama City, Panama, native had eight points and seven rebounds in the fourth quarter. Those numbers formed the basis for her fourth career CAC defensive award.
Florida National will continue its schedule with two games this week. The Conquistadors will face Beacon College on the road Tuesday. Florida National will host Ave Maria University on Saturday.
FSB Take
Karamanites’ fourth CAC defensive award gives Florida National an early individual milestone after a competitive season opener. Her nine rebounds and seven-rebound fourth quarter show how her defensive recognition was paired with significant late-game production. Florida National now moves into its next two games with a proven contributor at both ends of the court.
Source: Original report