ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Bakersfield guard Tyonna Outland as its Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 23. The USBWA has handed out a national player of the week award each Tuesday this season. This is the final presentation of the season.
As the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week, Outland was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by Mel Greenberg, the USBWA coordinator for womens basketball, from a list of Division I conference players of the week.
Outland, a 5-8 junior from Compton, Calif., averaged 27.5 points, eight rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with a 54.0 field goal percentage as Bakersfield picked up two WAC wins against Kansas City and Chicago State. In the win over Kansas City she tied a school Division I record for points in a game with 36 and field goals made at 14.
Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. At the 2012 Women's NCAA Final Four in Denver, 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 2014 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA's annual awards presentation in Nashville, site of the 2014 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 Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821.
2013-14 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week
Week of Dec. 8: Jennifer O'Neill, Kentucky (Southeastern Conference)
· Week of Dec. 15: Jeanise Randolph, Cincinnati (American Athletic Conference)
· Week of Dec. 22: Breanna Stewart, Connecticut (American Athletic Conference)
· Week of Dec. 29: Blake Dietrick, Princeton (Ivy League)
· Week of Jan. 5: Brianna Kiesel, Pittsburgh (Atlantic Coast Conference)
· Week of Jan. 12: Jasmine Lister, Vanderbilt (Southeastern Conference)
· Week of Jan. 19: Bria Hartley, Connecticut (American Athletic Conference)
· Week of Jan. 26: Jillian Alleyne, Oregon (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week of Feb. 2: Kayla McBride, Notre Dame (Atlantic Coast Conference)
· Week of Feb. 9: Odyssey Sims, Baylor (Big 12 Conference)
· Week of Feb. 16: Diamond DeShields, North Carolina (Atlantic Coast Conference)
· Week of Feb. 23: Tyonna Outland, Bakersfield (Western Athletic Conference)