INDIANAPOLIS (USBWA) This season the U.S.
Basketball Writers Association has undergone an expansion of its
weekly honors under a committee headed by Mel Greenberg, the USBWA
coordinator for women's basketball, choosing as in the past the
Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's national player, the organization's
Tamika Catchings freshman player, and new, the USBWA's women's team
of the week.
As in the past, nominees will be drawn largely from the conference
winners, but now also from individual submissions from the committee
into the pool for a final vote.
For the season's fifth honorees for games ending Sunday, Jan.
31, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Ann Meyers Drysdale
Women's National Player of the Week goes to Arkansas guard
Chelsea
Dungee, the organization's Tamika Catchings women's freshman player
honor goes again to Connecticut guard Paige Bueckers, and our USBWA
women's team citation goes to Arkansas for performances in the voting
period.
Dungee, a 5-11 redshirt senior guard from Sapulpa, Okla., averaged
26 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 steals across three games, scoring
25 for the then-No. 19 Razorbacks in a last-second loss at then-No.
22 Georgia. Additionally, she followed with a career-high 37
points shooting
13-of-21 from the field, including 4-of-5 beyond the arc and grabbing
three steals in the home 90-87 upset of No. 3 and then unbeaten
Connecticut. She finished the set of games scoring 16 in a home
win over Auburn, earning Southeastern Conference co-player of
the week
honors with then-No. 20 Tennessee's Tamari Key, who got just the
program's fourth triple double in a win over Florida.
Bueckers, a 5-11 rookie guard out of Hopkins, Minn., followed
last week's USBWA honor by averaging 24.5 points, 7.0 assists, 4.5
rebounds and shooting 60 percent from the field, including 80 percent
from three. She scored a team-high 27 points in the loss to Arkansas and
then double-doubled with 22 points and 12 assists in the win at
then-No. 17 DePaul to earn her sixth Big East weekly freshman
honor.
In the four-season history of the USBWA freshman citation she becomes
the first earning back-to-back plaudits, though last season then-newcomers
Villanova's Maddy Siegrist, South Carolina's Aliyah Boston, and
Middle Tennessee's Aislynn Hayes were multiple winners.
As for team of the week, despite the narrow loss at Georgia,
coach Mike Neighbors' guiding the Razorbacks' upset of the Huskies
made Arkansas an overwhelming choice, coming in a contest that was
cobbled together on short notice after both squads had other games
cancelled due to COVID-19 cautionary protocols placing previous
scheduled opponents into program pausing modes.
Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a womens National
Player of the Year. For the 2012-13 season, the national and weekly
player award became named for Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American
Ann Meyers Drysdale while this is the first season the national
and weekly freshman award is being given in the name of former Tennessee
all-American Tamika Catchings.
At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name
finalists for both individual awards, which is voted on by the entire
membership of the USBWA.
The winners of the 2021 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of
the Year and Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Year will
be announced and presented at the USBWAs annual awards event on
site at the 2021 NCAA Women's Final Four.
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 Malcolm Moran
at 814-574-1485.
2020-21 USBWA Women's Weekly Honors
Week ending Jan. 3: Michaela Onyenwere, UCLA (National); Caitlin Clark, Iowa (Freshman);
Kentucky (Team) Week ending Jan. 10: Naz
Hillmon, Michigan (National); Charlisse Leger-Walker, Washington State (Freshman);
Washington State (Team) Week ending Jan.
17: Ashley Joens, Iowa State (National); Frida Formann, Colorado (Freshman); Iowa
State (Team) Week ending Jan. 24: Dana Evans,
Louisville (National); Paige Bueckers, UConn (Freshman); UCLA (Team)
Week ending Jan. 31: Chelsea Dungee, Arkansas (National);
Paige Bueckers, UConn (Freshman); Arkansas (Team)
Week ending Feb. 7: Natasha Mack, Oklahoma State (National);
Paige Bueckers, UConn (Freshman); Texas A&M (Team)
Week ending Feb. 14: Paige Bueckers, UConn (National);
Paige Bueckers, UConn and Caitlin Clark, Iowa (Freshman); UConn (Team)
Week ending Feb. 21: Maddy Siegrist, Villanova and
Kierstan Bell, Florida Gulf Coast (National); Caitlin Clark, Iowa (Freshman); Oregon
State (Team) Week ending Feb. 28: Iimar'i
Thomas, Cincinnati; Caitlin Clark, Iowa (Freshman); Texas A&M (Team)
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