ST. LOUIS (USBWA) For the season's ninth U.S. Basketball Writers Association Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week and the organization's women's freshman player honor, North Carolina guard Paris Kea is the national player while North Carolina State center Elissa Cunane has been tabbed for the freshman citation after each was involved in helping their teams go unbeaten in games ending the week of Sunday, Jan. 27.
The USBWA weekly honors for Division I women's players will be handed out each Tuesday this season.
As the Atlantic Coast Conference player and ACC freshman weekly winners, both were nominated for the awards, which were chosen by Mel Greenberg, the USBWA coordinator for women's basketball, primarily from a pair of lists of Division I conference players and freshmen players of the week.
Kea, a 5-9 redshirt senior guard from Greensboro, N.C., averaged 28.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in a win over Virginia Tech and the 78-73 upset of then-No. 1 Notre Dame. After scoring 26 points and shooting 10-for-18 against the Hokies, Kea followed in the victory over the Irish, the first by the Tar Heels since Notre Dame joined the conference, in which she scored 30 points, shot 11-for-17 from the field, including 5-for-8 on three-point attempts, and also dealt 10 assists.
Cunane, a 6-5 center from Summerfield, N.C., helped keep the Wolfpack the nation's sole unbeaten Division I team with a pair of narrow wins over Clemson and Georgia Tech to take sole possession of first place in the conference at 7-0, their best ACC start since the 1988-89 season. In the two games, she averaged 14 points and five rebounds, while shooting 60 percent from the field.
Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a women's National Player of the Year. For the 2012-13 season, 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 2019 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWAs annual awards event in Tampa, site of the 2019 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.
2018-19 USBWA Women's Players of the Week
Week ending Dec. 2: Christyn Williams, UConn (National); Dorka Juh·sz, Ohio State (Freshman)
· Week ending Dec. 9: Jenna Allen, Michigan State (National); Taylor Sutton, Middle Tennessee (Freshman)
· Week ending Dec. 16: Alanna Smith, Stanford (National); Chrislyn Carr, Texas Tech (Freshman)
· Week ending Dec. 23: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (National); Rhyne Howard, Kentucky (Freshman)
· Week ending Dec. 30: Dionna White, Georgetown (National); Nia Clouden, Michigan State (Freshman)
· Week ending Jan. 6: Phoebe Sterba, Penn (National); Sienna Durr, Columbia (Freshman)
· Week ending Jan. 13: Tiana Mangakahia, Syracuse (National); Shakira Austin, Maryland (Freshman)
· Week ending Jan. 20: Shrita Parker, UNCW (National); Christianna Carr, Kansas State (Freshman)
· Week ending Jan. 27: Paris Kea, North Carolina (National); Elissa Cunana, N.C. State (Freshman)
· Week ending Feb. 3: Bella Alarie, Princeton (National); Ciaja Harbison, Saint Louis (Freshman)
· Week ending Feb. 10: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon (National); Ajah Wayne, Old Dominion (Freshman)
· Week ending Feb. 17: Megan Gustafson, Iowa (National); Madisen Smith, West Virginia (Freshman)
· Week ending Feb. 24: Kay Kay Wright, UCF (National); Jada McMillian, Charlotte (Freshman)
· Week ending March 3: Kristine Anigwe, California (National); Christianna Carr, Kansas State (Freshman)