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ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball
Writers Association has selected Texas guard
Empress Davenport as this season's first Ann
Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week for
games ending the week of Sunday, Dec. 13. The USBWA's weekly
honor will be handed out each Tuesday through mid-February this
season.
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| Davenport |
As the Big 12 Player of the Week, Davenport was nominated for
the weekly award, which was chosen by Mel Greenberg, the USBWA
coordinator for women's basketball, from a list of Division I
conference players of the week.
Davenport, a 5-7 senior guard from Duncanville, Texas, had a
career-high 23 points in the Longhorns' lone game, a win over
visiting Stanford in Austin in a battle of nationally-ranked
teams after previously reaching a high of 15 points, six
different times. Her total was the second most scored against
the Cardinal this season.
Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a National Player
of the Year. At the Women's NCAA Final Four in Denver, 2012, the
organization announced going forward that the national and weekly
player award has been named for Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American
Ann Meyers Drysdale. At the conclusion of the regular season, the
USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the
entire membership of the USBWA. The winner of the 2016 Ann Meyers
Drysdale National Player of the Year will be announced and presented
at the USBWA's annual awards event in Indianapolis, site of the 2016 NCAA
Women's Final Four.
 Several other women's awards are also to be announced later this
season associated with more famous names in women's basketball history.
Also in 2012 in Denver, it was also announced that former Tennessee
coach Pat Summitt, who was the female recipient of the Most Courageous
Award for her battle against early onset dementia, Alzheimer type,
would have that award named in her honor.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in
1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers.
With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential
organizations in college basketball. It has selected a women's All-America
team since the 1996-97 season. For more information on the USBWA
and its award programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at
314-795-6821.
2015-16 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week
• Week ending Dec. 13: Empress Davenport, Texas (Big 12 Conference)
• Week ending Dec. 20: Mogan Podkowa, DePaul (Big East Conference)
• Week ending Dec. 27: Arnecia Hawkins, Arizona State (Pac-12 Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 3: Breanna Stewart, Connecticut (Big East Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 10: Jonquel Jones, George Washington (Atlantic 10 Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 17: Kelsey Plum, Washington (Pac-12 Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 24: Azura Stevens, Duke (Atlantic Coast Conference)
• Week ending Jan. 31: Brea Edwards, Middle Tennessee (Conference USA)
• Week ending Feb. 7: Rachel Banham, Minnesota (Big Ten Conference)
• Week ending Feb. 14: Amber Campbell, Wake Forest (Atlantic Coast Conference)
• Week ending Feb. 21: Aerial Powers, Michigan State (Big Ten Conference)
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