SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (December 8, 2025) – Western New England women's basketball first-year Lottia Barnes has been named the Conference of New England's (CNE) Rookie of the Week, helping the Golden Bears pick up three wins this past week. 

Barnes played a key role for WNE off the bench in all three victories, including a CNE win over the University of Hartford. In that game over the Hawks, Barnes scored four points and added three rebounds, an assist, and three blocks for WNE on the defensive end of the floor, helping the Blue and Gold come away with a 74-62 win. Less than 24 hours later, Barnes was back in action, dominating the floor with 12 points on 5/7 shooting and cashing in two triples in a blowout victory over Elms College. Barnes added three rebounds, an assist, and a steal to her statistics line against the Blazers overall. To cap off the undefeated week, Barnes assisted in WNE's big win over the Owls of Westfield State University, picking up a near double-double, scoring nine points and pulling down 12 rebounds in the game.

Through ten games on the year, Barnes is shooting 48% from the floor, averaging just under four rebounds per game, has seven steals, five blocks, and is averaging eight points per game. 

Barnes and the Western New England women's basketball team is back in action following the New Year, taking on Gordon College in CNE action on the road on Saturday, January 3 at 1:00 PM.