FARMINGTON, Utah – The Big Sky Conference announced its All-Conference awards on Friday. Idaho's Arthur Moreira, Debora Dos Santos, Kyra Gardner, Hope Hassmann, and Ana Pinheiro all received recognition as voted on by the coaches. 

Moreira was unanimously selected as the conference Coach of the Year, Gardner was unanimously selected as Newcomer of the Year, and Dos Santos got the nod as the Top Reserve. Hassmann and Gardner both were named to the First Team All-Conference, Dos Santos was selected to the Second Team, and Pinheiro was picked on the All-Defensive Team. 
Arthur Moreira was unanimously selected as Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. In his second year at the helm of the Vandals, Moreira has led Idaho to a historic, banner season. The Vandals have set a new school record for most conference wins in a season (17), and tied school records for most consecutive wins in the NCAA era (15), most home wins in a season (14), and most wins in a regular season (26). Moreira led the Vandals to their first conference title since the 2019 season. 

Moreira's Thoughts

This should be the "Staff of the Year" award. After an emotional Northern Colorado win, my staff stayed late in the office working on the Eastern Washington scout. I couldn't sleep well that night, so I came back to the office pretty early on Sunday, and they were already there continuing their work from the night before. I am lucky to have the best coaching staff in the conference. After joining the Vandals from across the Palouse, Gardner has easily had the best season of her career and was unanimously selected as the Newcomer of the Year by Big Sky Conference coaches. She has averaged career highs in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, and assists per game, all while being one of the best shooters and overall athletes in the Big Sky. Her season has been highlighted by a 26-point performance in a come-from-behind win at Washington State – her old school – as well as a 28-point outburst at Montana, and she recorded Idaho's first triple-double since 2018 in a Vandal victory against Western Oregon. 

Gardner was also selected to the First Team All-Conference.

Moreira's Thoughts

Kyra is a special player. She is so talented and creative and just needed the freedom to shine. I'm really glad she took the chance of coming to Idaho for her last year and really proud of how much she has grown as a player and as a person. She is one of the few players who impacts the game in a number of different ways, whether it's by hitting a big shot, rebounding, stealing, or blocking a shot. She has played like a First Team All-Conference player all season and has been the most impactful newcomer in the league alongside Debora Dos Santos.
In a change of roles for the former All-WCC forward, Dos Santos came off the bench in every single game for the Vandals. Despite seeing a change in role and only playing 18 minutes per contest, the Brazilian star led the Vandals – one of the top five rebounding teams in the nation – in boards, grabbing over eight per contest. Although she was coming into games as a reserve, her 8.2 rpg was good enough for second in the Big Sky Conference. In addition, she was the third leading scorer on the team, putting up over 11 points per game. Her season was highlighted by a 22-point outing against Oral Roberts, but more importantly, a 14-point, 17-rebound double-double in Idaho's marquee showdown against Montana State in ICCU Arena. 

Seemingly always wearing her trademark smile, Dos Santos is a beloved teammate in the locker room, and has been a leader of the 2025-26 Vandals since she set foot on campus. 

Moreira's Thoughts

What Deb has done this year has been incredible. She tore her ACL a little over 13 months ago and came back performing like an all-conference player. She is the best rebounder I have ever coached and an incredible leader for our team. She starts off the bench for us but has won us many games this year by her impact on the glass and scoring inside. She has also continued to develop her three-point shot and is a threat from out there as well.
Hope Hassmann

One of six returning players from last year's team, Hassmann took a more ball-dominant role on the 2025-26 team. Idaho had the top-scoring offense in the Big Sky this season, and Hassmann was the catalyst for the Vandal attack, leading the black and gold with over 14 points per game, which was good enough to rank in the top ten in the Big Sky. Part of what set Hassmann apart this year, however, was her ability to distribute the ball. She was second in the conference with 4.1 assists per game, and she is one of just three players to rank in the Big Sky's top ten in scoring and assists. 
This season, Hassmann averaged career highs in three-point percentage, points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, and steals per game. 

Moreira's Thoughts

Hope has been one of our most consistent players all throughout conference play. She is one of the league's assist leaders and has done a great job in crunch time for us. She missed the all-conference selection last year, and I am glad she was rewarded for her hard work this offseason
The Vandal defense progressed throughout the year, becoming one of the toughest to score on in the Big Sky. During that progression, Pinheiro, the Portuguese international, was put on the opposition's star player in every single game, usually limiting them to well below their season averages. She has size and length that allow her to guard post players, but the quickness and stamina that give her the unique ability to stop guards. Pinheiro ranked in the top 15 in the Big Sky in blocks and in defensive rebounding. She was an anchor for the Vandal defense all season. 

Moreira's Thoughts

We call her "The Glove" for a reason. She has gotten the assignment of guarding the best player on the other team, regardless of position, and wins most of those matchups. Her size, length, and athletic ability allow her to guard any position on the floor, and she's a big reason our defense has been good in conference play

UP NEXT: The No. 1 seed Idaho Vandals will play the winner of the No. 9 Weber State-No. 10 Portland State game. Idaho will tipoff against that winner on Sunday, March 8 at 11 a.m. PT. The game can be seen on ESPN+.

TICKETS: Tickets to the Big Sky Conference tournament can be purchased here.

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