ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Pennsylvania guard Keiera Ray as its Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 17. The USBWA's weekly honor has been handed out each Tuesday this season. Ray is the season's final recipient
As the Ivy League Co-Player of the Week, Ray was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week.
Ray, a 5-9 freshman from Aurora, Ill., who was also named the league's rookie of the week, averaged 25 points and 5.5 rebounds to help Penn to its first league sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth since 2004 and first at home in the fabled Palestra since 2001. Her 31 points in a 77-72 win over Harvard – breaking a 17-game and nine-year losing streak to the Crimson – were the most by a league player this season and her 14 free throws in the game were the second most in school history. She added 19 points in a 63-40 win over Dartmouth, the most lopsised Penn win in series history. For the week, she committed just five turnovers in 68 minutes while scoring 50 points in the two games played on consecutive nights.
Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. At the Women's NCAA Final Four in Denver last April, 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 2013 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA's annual awards breakfast in New Orleans, site of the 2013 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. At last season's Women's Final Four 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.
2012-13 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week
Week of Dec. 9: Maggie Lucas, Penn State (Big Ten Conference)
· Week of Dec. 16: Chucky Jeffery, Colorado (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week of Dec. 23: Kelsey Bone, Texas A&M (Southeastern Conference)
· Week of Dec. 30: Karisma Penn, Illinois (Big Ten Conference)
· Week of Jan. 6: Kayla McBride, Notre Dame (Big East Conference)
· Week of Jan. 13: Brittney Griner, Baylor (Big 12 Conference)
· Week of Jan. 20: Stefanie Dolson, Connecticut (Big East Conference)
· Week of Jan. 27: Chiney Ogwumike, Stanford (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week of Feb. 3: Khaalidah Miller, Georgia (Southeastern Conference)
· Week of Feb. 10: Kelia Shelton, Louisiana Tech (Western Athletic Conference)
· Week of Feb. 17: Keiera Ray, Pennsylvania (Ivy League)