ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Oregon guard Maite Cazorla as the Women's National Freshman of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Feb. 7. The USBWA's weekly honor will be handed out each Tuesday through mid-February.
As the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week, Cazorla earned consideration as a nominee for the weekly award, which was chosen by Mel Greenberg, the USBWA coordinator for womens basketball, from a list of Division I conference freshmen of the week.
Cazorla, a 5-10 guard from Las Palmas, Spain, shot 53.3 percent from three-point range in wins over Washington State and then-No. 25 Washington and in the victory over the latter she scored all four treys in the third quarter after being shutout altogether in the first half. She had 11 points and posted three treys in the second half against Washington. Her 6.0 assists average is tops for freshmen in NCAA Division I.
Since the 2003-04 season, the USBWA has named a Women's National Freshman of the Year. This is the second the season USBWA has honored a national freshman of the week. At the 2012 Women's 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 and another famous name in womens basketball name is being deliberated for the freshman award. At the conclusion of the regular season, the freshman of the year will be voted on by the entire USBWA membership. The winner of the 2016 Women·s National Freshman 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.
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 Women's National Freshmen of the Week
Week ending Dec. 13: Kristine Anigwe, California (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 20: Jessica Shepard, Nebraska (Big Ten Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 27: Allazia Blockton, Marquette (Big East Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 3: Caitlin Jenkins, Southern Miss (Conference USA)
· Week ending Jan. 10: Kitja Laksa, South Florida (American Athletic Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 17: Asia Durr, Louisville (Atlantic Coast Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 24: Jessica Shephard, Nebraska (Big Ten Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 31: Allazia Blockton, Marquette (Big East Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 7: Maite Cazorla, Oregon (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 14: Aryn McClure, Quinnipiac (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 21: Adrianna Hahn, Villanova (Big East Conference)