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Dec. 22, 2015
For Immediate Release
Contact: Joe Mitch
314-795-6821

Senior guard/forward leads Blue Demons past Northwestern

DePAUL'S PODKOWA IS ANN MEYERS
DRYSDALE NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

ST. LOUIS (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected DePaul guard/forward Megan Podkowa as the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Dec. 20. The USBWA's weekly honor will be handed out each Tuesday through mid-February this season.

Podkowa

As the Big East Player of the Week, Podkowa 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.

Podkowa, a 6-2 senior from Glenview, Ill., had a career-high 27 points as the Blue Demons upset nearby non-conference rival Northwestern along with 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 blocks in a meeting of nationally-ranked teams after previously scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in a win over South Dakota State earlier in the week.

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.

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