NEW ROCHELLE, NY - By virtue of its second place finish in the 2009-10 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular season standings, the Iona College women's basketball team has earned a bid to play in the Postseason WNIT.  This will be the third ever appearance for the Gaels in postseason play, having made previous appearances in the Women's National Invitation Tournament in 2007 and 2008.

"It is a tribute to the hard work of our student-athletes and our staff that we have made it into the postseason in three of the last four years," commented head coach Anthony Bozzella. 

Iona will find out its first-round opponent when the tournament releases the full 64-team field late Monday night, March 15 via www.womensnit.com.  The field will include 31 teams that earned an automatic berth, and 33 teams that are chosen at-large.  The Postseason WNIT will open with first-round games Wednesday through Friday, March 17-19.  All games are hosted by participating schools.

The Gaels recently ended this season's conference run by advancing to the final four at the MAAC Championship for the fifth consecutive year.  Senior guard Thazina Cook, who averaged 19 points and ten rebounds and shot 81.8% from the free throw line over two tournament games, was named to the All-Tournament Team.  Assistant coach Toni Horvath, Iona's all-time assists leader, was selected to the MAAC's women's basketball all-decade team by a fan vote conducted on the league's Facebook page.