ST. LOUIS (USBWA) The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has selected Duke guard/forward Azura Stevens as the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week for games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 24. The USBWA's weekly honor will be handed out each Tuesday through mid-February this season.
As the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week, Stevens, who was a USBWA Freshman of the Week honoree last season, 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.
Stevens, a 6-6 sophomore from Raleigh, N.C., averaged 29.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in two games and also averaged 55 percent from the field. She had a career-high 33 points in a win over Clemson and then over North Carolina posted a double-double of 26 points and 14 rebounds and was a perfect 11-for-11 from the charity stripe.
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 at the USBWA's annual awards event in Indianapolis, site of the 2016 NCAA Women's Final Four and presented at the College Basketball Awards on April 11 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City.
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.
2015-16 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week
Week ending Dec. 13: Empress Davenport, Texas (Big 12 Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 20: Mogan Podkowa, DePaul (Big East Conference)
· Week ending Dec. 27: Arnecia Hawkins, Arizona State (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 3: Breanna Stewart, Connecticut (Big East Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 10: Jonquel Jones, George Washington (Atlantic 10 Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 17: Kelsey Plum, Washington (Pac-12 Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 24: Azura Stevens, Duke (Atlantic Coast Conference)
· Week ending Jan. 31: Brea Edwards, Middle Tennessee (Conference USA)
· Week ending Feb. 7: Rachel Banham, Minnesota (Big Ten Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 14: Amber Campbell, Wake Forest (Atlantic Coast Conference)
· Week ending Feb. 21: Aerial Powers, Michigan State (Big Ten Conference)