Newsday's All-Long Island girls basketball second team 2023
Clockwise, from top left: Jaxie Cestone of Kings Park, Sophie Costello of Shoreham-Wading River, Abbey Loiacono of Smithtown Christian, Briana Neary of Massapequa, Victoria Pfeffer of Bethpage, Kasi Samuda of Holy Trinity.
Jaxie Cestone, Kings Park 5-9, F, Sr.
She averaged 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.2 steals in a 19-3 season for the Suffolk Class A finalists. She is committed to play lacrosse at Jacksonville.
Sophie Costello, Shoreham-Wading River, 5-5, G, Sr.
She averaged 17.6 points and five steals per game to lead Shoreham-Wading River to its first county title in program history. Costello had nine games of at least 21 points for the Suffolk Class A champions.
Shy Hawkins, Long Island Lutheran, 6-2, F, Jr.
She averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a physical presence in the paint against one of the toughest schedules in the country for the Federation Class AA champions. She had 10 points in the Federation final against St. Mary’s..
Abbey Loiacono, Smithtown Christian, 5-5, G, Sr.
She led Suffolk with 27.9 points per game despite facing constant double teams and additional defensive pressure. Loiacono ranked second on Long Island with 68 made three-pointers, had six games of at least 30 points and finished her career with 1,775 varsity points.
Briana Neary, Massapequa, 5-7, G, Jr.
The athletic guard averaged 17.4 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4.4 steals per game for the Nassau Class AA runner-ups. She had eight games of at least 20 points, including in the Nassau Class AA semifinals against Syosset.
Victoria Pfeffer, Bethpage, F, 6-1, Sr.
Pfeffer averaged 19.1 points, including nine games of at least 20 points, and seven rebounds per game. The Mercy College commit consistently posted impressive numbers despite playing in Nassau Conference A-IV, which resulted in one of the most difficult conference schedules on Long Island.
Kasi Samuda, Holy Trinity, 6-0, F, Sr.
Samuda was a force in the paint all season long and averaged 23.6 points, 20.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game while facing constant double and triple teams. She had 44 points and 35 rebounds against St. Dominic, according to coach Emma O'Connor. Samuda is committed to play at the University of Chicago.
Clockwise, from top left: Sara Simonetti of East Islip, Katelyn Simpson of Baldwin, Kayla Solomon of St. Mary's, Kristin Suydam of Sayville, Payton Tini of Locust Valley.
Sara Simonetti, East Islip, 5-6, G, Sr.
She averaged 20.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 3.5 steals per game as her tenacity and basketball instincts separate her from other top players. Simonetti had 32 points in a 50-47 victory over Sayville in the Suffolk Class A quarterfinals.
Katelyn Simpson, Baldwin, 5-10, G, Sr.
Simpson was the definition of a lockdown defender for the Long Island Class AA champions. She never shied away from guarding the opposing team’s top player and made life difficult for them. Simpson added 9.6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists per game.
Kayla Solomon St. Mary’s, 5-6, G, Fr.
She averaged 15 points and three assists per game and played some of her best games against top competition for the state CHSAA Class AA champions. Solomon had 27 points, including five three-pointers, in the league final against St. Anthony’s.
Kristin Suydam, Sayville, 6-3, F, Sr.
She averaged 17.6 points, 16.4 rebounds and 6 blocks per game. Suydam is committed to play at Geneseo.
Payton Tini, Locust Valley, 5-8, G, Sr.
She averaged 20.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 5.9 steals, including a dominating effort with 33 points in a 41-31 win over Cold Spring Harbor in the Nassau Class B final. She is committed to play lacrosse at Rutgers.
